Midterm Ad Spending Has Surpassed $10B. Where Is the Money Coming From?

Advertising tied to this year's midterms has topped $10 billion, a new high for a midterm cycle, and the tracking firm Ad Impact projects the total will reach $11. 6 billion by Election Day. The 2022 midterms came in at $8. 9 billion, while the 2024 presidential contest drew roughly $11. 2 billion. Brendan Glavin of OpenSecrets cautions that outspending an opponent does not ensure victory, though a candidate must have enough money to become known, according to Time.

Republicans hold a clear edge on Senate airwaves. In nine of the tightest races last month, they put $233 million into broadcast television against $121 million from Democrats, with much of that coming from super PACs backed by a handful of wealthy donors. House spending is closer, with a $14 million Republican advantage across 21 toss-up contests.

Texas is the costliest battleground, with spending and reservations above $500 million. Elon Musk gave $158 million to Senate Leadership Fund, which passed matching sums to a group backing Ken Paxton, even as Democrat James Talarico raised about $50 million more than Paxton from July through September. In Ohio, over $450 million has been spent as Jon Husted and Sherrod Brown compete.

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