Politics

Republicans direct hundreds of millions into late congressional ad buys

Ad tracking shows GOP groups outspending Democrats while facing steep late-reservation premiums

Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 00:47 UTC5 reports

The short version

Republicans booked over $700 million in congressional campaign ads since September, compared to over $430 million booked by Democrats, according to an NBC News review of AdImpact data.[NBC News]
The GOP advertising push is heavily directed at Senate contests, including nearly $150 million poured into Texas to back nominee Ken Paxton for a longtime Republican seat.[NBC News]
Because late reservations are primarily placed by outside super PACs rather than candidate campaigns, groups are paying significantly higher advertising rates, which dilutes their total reach.[ABC News · NBC News]

An NBC News analysis of AdImpact data found Republicans booked more than $700 million in new congressional advertising since September, while Democrats reserved over $430 million.[NBC News]
Republicans represent nearly 7 out of every 10 newly booked ad dollars in Senate contests.[NBC News]
Nearly $150 million in new Republican ad spending has been directed to the Texas Senate race to support nominee Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico.[NBC News]
Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. held nearly $416 million in cash on hand at the end of August before accelerating September spending.[ABC News]
Senate contests in Ohio and Michigan drew over $75 million in new September ad reservations, primarily from Republican-aligned organizations.[NBC News]
Outside political groups are charged higher ad rates than candidate committees, causing the spending gap between the parties to exceed the difference in total ad airings.[ABC News · NBC News]

News organizations report conflicting figures for recent Texas PAC advertising spending, with NBC News reporting more than $115 million booked over the past month and ABC News reporting over $83 million spent.[ABC News · NBC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.