Outside groups are pouring millions into backing former Vice President Joe Biden as he gains momentum with successive wins in the Democratic primaries.
Priorities USA Action, a hybrid PAC meant to aid the eventual Democratic presidential nominee, declared Biden as the likely nominee and is gearing up to run ads in his support.
“The math is now clear. Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee for President and Priorities USA is going to do everything we can to help him defeat Donald Trump in November. I hope others will join us in the fight,” Guy Cecil, chairman of the PAC tweeted Tuesday night.
The aim of the super PAC was to spend $150 million on online and television ads before the party’s convention in Milwaukee in July and remain neutral until then. With the odds in Biden’s favor, Priorities USA will now be the largest outside group in the race, and will use some of that budget backing the former vice president.
The group has raised $20.3 million through January. Priorities USA’s mission is to defeat President Donald Trump. With Biden’s successive wins in the primaries, it will now spend on ads defending him as the GOP launches their attack.
“Priorities’ most important role is to fill the gap before the Democratic nominee can access general election funds and ensure that Trump is not the only voice heard,” Cecil said in statement. It has spent nearly $948,000 against Trump so far.
The super PAC Unite the Country, which has spent more than $10.9 million backing Biden, spent nearly $1.4 million last week.
Earlier a conservative spender, Biden’s campaign has doled out cash for ads in the remaining primaries. Of the six states that held primaries on Tuesday, Biden won four, including Michigan and Missouri — both states that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won against Hillary Clinton in 2016. He spent a combined total of $12 million on TV and digital ads for the March 10 and March 17 primaries.
Initially pegged the frontrunner, Biden’s campaign lost some steam after poor showings in early contests hosted in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Sanders’ campaign was gaining momentum until Biden’s win in South Carolina propelled his winning 10 of 14 states on Super Tuesday.
The endorsements of former mayor of South Bend, Ind., Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), billionaire Mike Bloomberg and other former Democratic presidential candidates helped solidify his position as the one to beat. Bloomberg, who spent roughly $600 million on his presidential bid, is also planning to use his staff and resources to back Biden. Bloomberg’s campaign will reportedly continue to air anti-Trump ads and could possibly also run ads against Sanders.
Biden raised $7.1 million in just two days after Super Tuesday, virtually the same his campaign raised in the month of January. Biden also has the largest number of billionaire supporters, with 60 of them contributing to his campaign committee or to super PACs that back him.
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