Why Republicans’ massive cash advantage is evaporating on the airwaves

Why Republicans’ massive cash advantage is evaporating on the airwaves - POLITICO

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Why Republicans’ massive cash advantage is evaporating on the airwaves

Across key Senate battlegrounds, Republicans’ cash advantage hasn’t led to an equally large amount of advertising time.

!Texas state Rep. and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico attends a rally in Houston, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)

*Texas state Rep. and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico attends a rally in Houston, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. | Joel Angel Juarez/AP Photo*

By Andrew Howard and Jessica Piper

10/21/2026 5:00 AM EDT

Republicans are banking on a massive cash edge to help save their majority in Congress. But they are losing much of that advantage in an important arena: broadcast TV ads.

Republicans have spent $677 million on those ads across 10 key Senate battleground states, compared to $479 million by the Democrats. But the GOP’s money isn’t going nearly as far because they’re more dependent on outside groups that pay much higher rates than candidates.

The disparity has helped Democrats stay in the fight for Senate control amid an onslaught of GOP outside spending.

In Ohio’s Senate race, Republican groups make up 63% of the $218 million spent. But in spite of their nearly two-to-one spending advantage, they make up just over half of ads that are on the airwaves, according to data from the tracking service AdImpact. In Texas, Republicans have outspent Democrats by a three-to-one margin, but have aired just 58% of the ads. And in Michigan, the GOP accounts for 60% of the spending but just over half of the ads.

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