Democrats have an advertising advantage in this year's biggest elections

Democrats have something important in common across the three highest-profile elections coming in November: an ad-spending edge.

Democrats have something important in common across the three highest-profile elections coming in November: an ad-spending edge.

Money doesn’t buy everything in campaigns — or else the history books would look very different. But the data, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, tells a story about the state of each race.

Take California, where the Democrats supporting the ballot measure for a gerrymander that would help paint some Republican-held seats blue have long held a massive spending edge. It has even more pronounced in the last week, as the opposition has virtually pulled its money off the airwaves ahead of the vote.

In Virginia’s governor’s election, Democrat Abigail Spanberger has benefited from a consistent 2-to-1 spending edge, which she has used to stay tightly focused on an economic message — as her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, has been hammering her on social issues and on the violent texts sent several years ago by the Democratic attorney general nominee.

The Democrats still have a substantial spending edge in the governor’s race in New Jersey, where Republicans are looking to score an upset four years after a closer-than-expected 3-point loss in the last governor’s election. But unlike in Virginia, outside groups on both sides of the aisle are spending heavily there with eyes on a statement win.