Report: Trump leads all Facebook ad spending in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) - Republican President Donald Trump has spent more money on Facebook advertising targeting Arizona users since July than any other candidate, campaign, or business, according to a New York University Tandon School of Engineering project that monitors Facebook spending.

As of Oct. 3, the Trump campaign and his various affiliates have spent $3.2 million on Facebook ads in the state since July 1, the NYU Ad Observatory reports. That’s more than the amount spent during the same period by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — the second-highest Facebook spender. His campaign has spent $2.5 million, according to the website.

Damon McCoy, professor of computer science and engineering at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering, and doctoral student Laura Edelson built the NYU Tandon Online Transparency Project aimed at bringing transparency to political advertising that targets U.S. voters.

Nationally, Trump has doled out $60 million on Facebook ads since July, while Biden has spent $40 million. It’s unclear if that pace will continue after Trump announced this week he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would be hospitalized.

The website found that Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Mark Kelly spent $906,700 on Facebook ads in Arizona since July. However, the website says the Kelly campaign has spent $2.2 million nationally on Facebook ads seeking donations around the country.

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