Midterm Ad War Heads for a Record $11.6 Billion
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 · 10 min
AdImpact projects the 2026 midterms will draw a record $11.6 billion in political ad spending, with Senate races like Ohio, Texas and Maine helping drive the surge as control of Congress remains tightly contested.
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Show notes
AdImpact projects the 2026 midterms will draw a record $11.6 billion in political ad spending, with Senate races like Ohio, Texas and Maine helping drive the surge as control of Congress remains tightly contested.
In this episode
- AdImpact Reveals 2026 Election Cycle to Reach Record $11.6 Billion in Ad Spending — AdImpact
🚨 NEW $11.6B in Projected Political Ad Spending: AdImpact's Updated Political Projection Report is here! [Download Report](https://adimpact.com/political-projections-26-updated) Products  [ Ad Catalog …
- Step Back — When analysts say the 2026 cycle could hit a record $11.6 billion in political ads, should we hear that as evidence the midterms are unusually competitive, that campaigns think ads still move voters, or just that the price of reaching people has gone way up?
Background sources
- US midterm advertising bill to hit record $11.6 billion, fueled by Senate races, AdImpact says | Hits 96.5 | Playing The Most Music, Kalamazoo's New HITS | Kalamazoo, MI — Thomson Reuters
- Midterm political ad spending reaches $565 million - Wesleyan Media Project — Wesleyan Media Project
- How Political Advertising Will Impact the Media Landscape in 2026 | Basis — Jackie Huelbig McLaughlin and Sean Duggan
- Political ad spending expected to hit new record in midterms — Laya Neelakandan
- National Primary Elections 2026: Live Results and Map — NBC News
[Skip to Results](#content) IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. # Midterm Primaries 2026 [Add NBC News to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nbcnews.com) The battle for control of Congress is on. Republicans hope to maintain and expand their narrow majorities in the fall for the second half of President Donald Trump’s term,…