JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –- Campaign spending levels have skyrocketed to fund the 2012 presidential TV ad war. No matter which channel you turn to, political advertisements are everywhere.
"It’s the most I've seen and I've been buying for about 14 years,” said Joe Stelma, a senior media buyer with St. John & Partners.
Total spending for the presidential contest is expected to swell to $1.1 billion, and candidates are funneling a huge chunk of that change into big swing states, like Florida.
"They both have deep pockets with a lot of money, but they still want to spend it the best way they can and capture the voters for their party,” said Stelma.
Experts say, because of that strategy, you can expect to see more Romney, less Obama here in Northeast Florida.
"From what we're hearing, Obama has pulled out some of his spending in the area and is kind of putting it more along the I-4 corridor,” said Stelma.
Stelma says that’s most likely because that area is considered more up for grabs.
But with national polls showing a tight race, and the Sunshine State one of the biggest battlegrounds out there, keep the clicker close – this year’s Florida ad campaign is just getting started.
“I most definitely expect to see a lot more in the weeks leading up to the general election,” Stelma said.
Romney now has millions more at his fingertips to spend in general election funds because he’s officially the Republican Party’s nominee.
This year may mark the first in modern history that an incumbent president could be outspent on the air by an opponent.
