Democrats make 'final pitch' to swing state voters in dead heat race

FIRST ON FOX — The Democratic National Committee on Wednesday launched a series of full-page ad buys in 25 newspapers as part of the party's effort to reach voters in the heart of critical battleground states and lay out its final case against Donald Trump.

The ad buys were shared exclusively with Fox News Digital and consist of full-page spreads in 25 newspapers in suburban and exurban newspapers across the country. 

They include five newspapers each in the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia; four newspapers in Wisconsin; and six other newspapers spread across towns in North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada. 

The ads are an effort to drive home what Democrats said in an interview is their final, "most important" message to voters ahead of Election Day — that Donald Trump is "unhinged, unstable," and "unfit to lead" in a second term.

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Roger Lau, the deputy executive director at the DNC, told Fox News the ads seek to communicate to voters "that this is a clear choice between Donald Trump — his message of chaos, retribution, revenge, division, and the Democratic message; Kamala Harris's message. Which is that she's going to be president for all Americans. She is someone that is going to be building an opportunity economy for all of us, and showing us a new way forward."

An activist holds a sign that says "Save Our Democracy" outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the court prepares to hear arguments on the immunity of former President Trump in Washington, D.C. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)

They take aim at what the DNC characterized as Trump's "chaotic and reckless record," as well as his "pursuit of unchecked power," which they will argue he will seek to advance if re-elected to a second term in November.

"In a presidential race that will be decided on razor-thin margins, the paid media campaign is designed to reach voters who could be key to deciding the result of the most important election of our lifetimes," DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. 

The locations of the newspapers selected also offer insight into parts of the map Democrats view as most competitive in the final sprint to Election Day. 

Combined, a total of 93 electoral votes are at stake in the seven battleground states, votes the DNC said it is prepared to fight hard for in a neck-and-neck election to help elect Harris. 

Lau told Fox News the papers were chosen specifically to appeal to voters beyond traditional major media markets in large cities. 

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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz depart after speaking during a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Mich.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

"With the race being as close as it is, and the stakes being as high as they are, we want to make sure that we're hitting the exurbs and suburbs too," Lau said. "Places like Macomb County in Michigan, La Crosse in Wisconsin [and] Yuma in Arizona.

 "These are places that we're not going to cede ground." 

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But with less than a week until the election, it's unclear how many undecided voters in major swing states could be swayed, especially in areas where both the Trump and Harris campaigns have already exhausted significant resources and get-out-the-vote initiatives designed to boost voter registration and appeal to candidates in competitive districts. 

That's part of why the DNC chose to run the paid advertisements in print newspapers, it said, in a final bid to appeal to rare voters by way of a trusted, local news source.

The news comes after several major news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today all announced they will not be endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2023 election, sparking outrage and a wave of cancellations from some readers. 

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, speaks during a campaign rally at the Alan Horwitz "Sixth Man" Center Oct. 27, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"We always knew that this was going to be a close race," Lau said. "We always knew that these seven battlegrounds would come down to the final stretch. And I feel like the infrastructure that we've built, the energy and enthusiasm we have in our grassroots base, that's going to help us put it over the edge."

Combined with Harris' closing remarks to voters on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night, Lau said, "I think it's going to be a strong closing argument to propel us across the finish line in the end."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.