While mainland voters drown in political ads, Hawaii’s election season is notably subdued

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – While it’s been a relatively quiet election season in the islands, those living on the continent have had a very different experience.
Since July, the public — particularly in swing states — has been peppered with a seemingly endless barrage of attack ads from both the Trump and Harris campaigns.
HNN Investigates went to Waikiki to ask visitors about it.
“Pretty much every commercial break, you’re going to see at least two or three (campaign commercials),” said Louisiana resident Kailyn Turner.
“Every other ad on TV is political,” added Virginia resident Daniel Krammes.
Abby Fullerton of Wisconsin said, “It’s just overwhelming.”
Mainland voters tell us even when their TV’s off, there’s no escaping the constant political messaging.
“There are phone calls, text messages, Facebook ads,” Fullerton said.
“I mean, even here I’m getting texts at four in the morning,” Krammes said.
“Very few of these ads are actually about policies,” HNN political analyst Colin Moore said. “Something around 80% of former President Trump’s ads have been spent just attacking Vice President Harris. The Harris folks, it’s a little more balanced. They had to introduce the vice president to the American people. So there’s a little more about her. Very few people need to be introduced to former President Trump.”
Moore said the islands see relatively few federal level campaign ads because Hawaii isn’t considered to be a competitive state nationally.
“But on the mainland, especially in battle ground states, places like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona, folks are inundated with the ads,” Moore said. “More money has been spent on political advertising in 2024 than ever in our nation’s history.”
According to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, approximately $10.5 billion has been spent on campaign ads this election cycle. That’s up $1 billion from 2020.
But do campaign ads work?
“They do work,” said Moore. “If they didn’t work campaigns wouldn’t use them. For most of us they do have an emotional response.”
While Moore says political advertisements can be used to educate the public, “if they’re all negative, I think it can turn people off to politics.”
It’s a feeling many of the folks we spoke with seem to relate to.
“It’s creating too much of a divide,” Krammes said.
Sherri Painter of Georgia told us, “This election is a comedian show.”
“I’ve gotten enough text messages. I’ve gotten enough calls. Please leave me alone,” Turner said.
According to AdImpact, nearly $1 billion has been spent on political ads in just the last week alone.
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