DNC targeting minority voters in South Carolina, Nevada ad blitz

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is targeting voters of color, rural voters and the younger generation in early primary states South Carolina and Nevada in a new ad blitz. 

The six-figure ad campaign aims to galvanize the potential electorate before the states’ upcoming primaries, set to take place Feb. 3 in South Carolina and Feb. 6 in Nevada.

“Democrats are launching a historic effort to reach voters where they are and in the languages they speak to ensure we are building a broad coalition of support as we head into election year,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement on Friday. “By bringing South Carolina and Nevada to the forefront of our primary calendar, Democrats are uplifting new, diverse voices that for too long have been sidelined and silenced.”

The blitz will include digital, print, radio and out-of-home advertising. The ads will be presented in multiple languages, including Spanish, Tagalog and Chinese, according to the DNC. The majority of them are slated to start running on Saturday.

In large part, the ads will focus on student loan forgiveness, voting rights and urging voters to discard “MAGA” Republicans. 

The Democratic party’s nominating calendar was shuffled to push back states like New Hampshire and Iowa and move up states like Nevada and South Carolina, which have more diverse populations. Because of the shift in the DNC-sanctioned schedule, Biden was not on the ballot in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, but was still able to win as a write-in candidate with close to 80,000 votes, according to Decision Desk HQ. 

In one of the ads included in the new voter outreach campaign, Rep, Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) urges voters to participate in the South Carolina primary and vote to prevent Republicans from “rolling” back the “progress” made by the Democratic party. 

“Democrats are working to make the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all of us in health care, housing, education and economic development,” Clyburn says in the ad. “Democrats have been delivering for us, our families and our communities. On February 3, we have an opportunity, I dare say an obligation to make our voices heard in the Democratic presidential primary. Please join me in voting to show the extreme, moderate Republicans that we won’t let them roll back the progress we have made to preserve and grow the greatness of this country.”