The new year is approaching, which means presidential primary voting will begin soon. But things are about to take a twist for one candidate.
And the Republican primary just got turned on its head after this candidate’s announcement.
January 15 marks the Iowa caucuses, which will be the first contest in the Republican primary. The second contest is on January 23, which is the New Hampshire primary.
That has many Republican candidates campaigning hard in the Hawkeye and Granite States.
But one candidate has other plans for how he’s planning on securing votes ahead of the caucuses and primary voting.
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and his campaign have decided to cancel spending on TV advertisements.
“We are focused on bringing out the voters we’ve identified – best way to reach them is using addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls, and doors to communicate with our voters on Vivek’s vision for America, making their plan to caucus and turning them out,” Ramaswamy campaign spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin said to NBC News.
“As you know, this isn’t what most campaigns look like. We have intentionally structured this way so that we have the ability to be nimble and hypertargeted in our ad spending.”
According to AdImpact, the Ramaswamy campaign has spent $2.2 million on TV, radio, and digital ads.
Ramaswamy himself took to X to explain why his campaign canceled spending for TV advertisements.
“Presidential TV ad spending is idiotic, low-ROI & a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ,” he said in his post.
“We’re doing it differently. Spending $$ in a way that follows data…apparently a crazy idea in US politics. Big surprise coming on Jan 15.”
Presidential TV ad spending is idiotic, low-ROI & a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ.
We’re doing it differently. Spending $$ in a way that follows data…apparently a crazy idea in US politics.
Big surprise coming on Jan 15. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/i2X7Q5d2T9
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 27, 2023
This move by Ramaswamy’s campaign could be an attempt at combatting his low poll numbers.
According to RealClearPolitics, he sits at just 4% nationally, behind front-runner Donald Trump who is at 62.5%.
Other candidates, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) are at 11.3% and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is at 11%.
Ramaswamy gained some popularity after the first Republican primary debate back in August, but has not been able to maintain that momentum over the recent months.
Trump has a feeling that Ramaswamy will endorse him eventually, but he has posted on Truth Social that he’s “not done yet!” signalling that Ramaswamy and his campaign could have a few more tricks up their sleeves.
“He will, I am sure, Endorse me. But Vivek is a good man, and is not done yet!”
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
