# Five of the most expensive races this cycle

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/five-of-the-most-expensive-races-this-cycle/
- Published: 2026-10-30T11:15:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:30:12+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/6183325-midterms-2026-most-expensive-races/
- Topics: Americas, Art, Culture, Elections, Politics, World

## Key points

- The 2026 cycle surpassed the 2024 cycle’s political ad total before polling day.
- Texas and Ohio each passed $500 million in Senate race advertising.
- Three Senate races and two governor’s races dominated the spending list.

## Summary

The 2026 US midterm campaign became the most expensive election cycle on record before polling day, according to advertising tracker AdImpact. By 26 October, political ad spending and future bookings had reached $11.21 billion, exceeding the $11.2 billion spent across the 2024 cycle, which included a presidential election. The five costliest contests were the Texas and Ohio Senate races, California’s governor’s race, Michigan’s Senate race and Georgia’s governor’s race. These figures measure advertising, including booked ads, rather than every form of campaign expenditure.

Texas led the list. AdImpact reported on 30 October that its Senate race had attracted $573 million in ad spending and bookings, making it the most expensive contest outside a presidential race in its records. Ohio’s Senate race had also passed $500 million. Heavy spending in competitive Senate contests reflects the stakes for control of Congress, while the California and Georgia governor’s races show that major state contests drew substantial sums too. The totals may change as final advertising and campaign finance figures are compiled.

## Coverage

- [The Hill: Five of the most expensive races this cycle](https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/6183325-midterms-2026-most-expensive-races/)
- [AdImpact: Texas Senate Ad Spending Hits $573M: Most Expensive Non-Presidential Race on Record](https://adimpact.com/blogs/texas-senate-most-expensive-2026?hs_amp=true)
- [National Journal: Hotline’s Midterm Preview](https://hub.nationaljournal.com/midterm-insiders-guide)
- [AdImpact: AdImpact’s Updated 2025–2026 Political Projections](https://adimpact.com/political-projections-26-updated)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.