Both President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney are increasing their campaign spending in the run-up to the general election in November, new financial reports show.
In April and June, the Obama campaign and its joint campaign-DNC fundraising committee the Obama Victory Fund spent $189 million. This was over $50 million more than Romney and his RNC committee, who spent only $138 million.
Romney also continues to out-fundraise the president, raking in $106 million in June compared with Obama's $71 million. This has led the president's campaign to repeatedly warn supporters Obama could become the first incumbent president to be out-raised by a challenger in U.S. history.
However, although Romney's coffers are piled high, he is legally kept from spending half of what he raises until he is officially nominated as the Republican candidate for president at the GOP convention in Tampa at the end of August.
Romney also spent heavily in the fight he put up against his fellow Republican challengers in the primary elections, an expense about which the un-challenged president did not have to worry.
Regardless of campaign fundraising differences, both men are also upping spending using money from their respective super PACs. In June, the pro-Obama Priorities USA Action spent $7.9 million, mostly in attack ads aimed at Romney's business past.
Meanwhile, pro-Republican super PACs Restore Our Future and American Crossroads are slated to spent $7.2 million and $9.3 million respectively on upcoming campaign ads.
This weekend, however, both campaigns suspended politicking in the wake of the theater shooting that killed 12 in Aurora, Denver. Both campaigns have also suspended negative ads in the state until further notice.
by RTT Staff Writer
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