Can $1 billion power the GOP to victory in the midterms? Some campaigns fear it's too late

Republicans hold roughly $1 billion in campaign cash heading into the final month before the midterms, yet many in the party worry it will not shield them from heavy losses. Trump's low popularity, voter anxiety over costs and the fallout from the war in Iran are weighing on candidates. Democratic groups hold about $579 million, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the Republican spending "obscene.", according to PBS NewsHour.

The core problem is timing. Four Republican Senate campaign officials, speaking anonymously, told the Associated Press that groups booking airtime last spring secured far cheaper rates than MAGA Inc. , which had nearly $416 million on hand at the end of August and only ramped up in September. Trump-aligned organizations are sometimes paying over five times what an early purchase would have cost. A MAGA Inc. representative countered that the spending has kept races closer than they would otherwise be.

Texas shows the strain. AdImpact data show MAGA Inc. spending more than $22 million in a month, and a group tied to Senate Majority Leader John Thune spending over $83 million, to defend Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →