Texas and Ohio Senate Contests Lead Congressional Ad Spending Past $10 Billion

Spending on advertising for the Nov. 3 midterm elections has passed $10 billion, with the Senate races in Texas and Ohio recording the largest outlays of any contest on the ballot. Data from the monitoring platform AdImpact, released in an Oct. 14 report, estimates total cycle spending at roughly $11.6 billion.

AdImpact said advertising already aired in congressional contests exceeds the amount recorded at this point in the 2024 legislative elections by $872.2 million. Republicans hold 54 percent of advertising spending in the current cycle, a shift from the same period in 2024, when Democrats led with 55 percent.

The Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton has drawn $490.4 million in advertising through Oct. 12, including primary spending. Ohio follows at $431.7 million, where Republican Senator Jon Husted faces Democrat Sherrod Brown in a special election. AdImpact identifies the Texas contest as the second-most expensive non-presidential race by advertising spending in U.S. history, behind the 2024 Ohio Senate election at $543 million.

Elon Musk spent at least $276 million between July and September supporting Republican candidates, bringing his total for the 2025-2026 cycle above $400 million, according to reports from advisory and data-tracking firms. Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein contributed about $138 million, and Jeff and Janine Yass gave $110 million. President Donald Trump announced he has directed more than $400 million toward Republican efforts in these elections.

Companies linked to George Soros donated over $100 million to Democrats, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg allocated roughly $80 million. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez each said they are transferring $1 million from their campaign funds to back Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan. His race against Mike Rogers has generated $295.3 million in advertising through Oct. 12.

Trump has promised $5,000 checks to every American adult if Republicans win the midterms. Experts have questioned whether the payments can proceed, noting that the total would exceed one trillion dollars and require congressional approval. At a campaign event in North Carolina last week, the president linked funding for claims over water contamination at Camp Lejeune to Republican control of both chambers of Congress: "If we don't win, there's no money."

The election will renew one third of the Senate, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and more than 30 governorships.