Emily Rooney: The Billionaires Running For President Are Using Their Money To Run Ads, And It's Working

Election 2020 Tom Steyer — FILE - In this Dec. 19, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate businessman Tom Steyer waves before a Democratic presidential primary debate in Los Angeles, Calif.

Zoe Mathews is a producer for Boston Public Radio and the producer of The Scrum podcast.

January 10, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

Between Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, the two Democratic candidates for president have spent nearly two hundred of dollars on political ads than any one else running for president, including Donald Trump.

Steyer has spent $67 million and Bloomberg has spent $142 million, according to MSNBC.

Emily Rooney joined Boston Public Radio on Friday, to break down the impact of this spending.

"They're going up in the national polls," she said. "I think advertising is extremely effective for both of these guys. It's completely different. Tom Steyer has taken on Donald Trump and Bloomberg's ads are much folksier, he tries to (talk about bringing yourself) 'up from the boot straps.'"

Both candidates are moving up in polls, and while Bloomberg hasn't crossed the DNC's donor threshold to make the debate stage, Steyer has, and will appear in the next debate, on Jan 14.

Emily Rooney is host of WGBH's Beat The Press.