2026 Midterms · Overall
Data 2026-10-28 07:31 CDT · v0.8.18
2026 midterms: the national picture
Outside groups are on pace for the most expensive midterm on record. Cycle in progress: FEC filings through Oct. 28, 2026.
Outside spending, FEC official
$643M +53% vs 2022
18-month summary, through Jun 30
FEC filings to Oct. 28
$3.49B +75% vs 2022
2022 same point: $2.00B · outside groups
Senate races
$2.10B 61%
House $1.37B · races with $500K+
Republican side vs Democratic
1.25 : 1
$1.90B R vs $1.52B D
Party coordinated spending
$328.8M new
Since the Jun 30 ruling · party IEs $378K vs $265.8M in 2022
Cumulative outside money · 2026 vs 2022
FEC| Week of | Days to Election Day | 2026 cumulative | 2022 cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-05 | 296 | $61M | $145M |
| 2026-01-12 | 289 | $65M | $149M |
| 2026-01-19 | 282 | $74M | $151M |
| 2026-01-26 | 275 | $82M | $153M |
| 2026-02-02 | 268 | $101M | $160M |
| 2026-02-09 | 261 | $126M | $170M |
| 2026-02-16 | 254 | $156M | $178M |
| 2026-02-23 | 247 | $190M | $182M |
| 2026-03-02 | 240 | $208M | $190M |
| 2026-03-09 | 233 | $231M | $193M |
| 2026-03-16 | 226 | $239M | $205M |
| 2026-03-23 | 219 | $246M | $216M |
| 2026-03-30 | 212 | $260M | $231M |
| 2026-04-06 | 205 | $272M | $244M |
| 2026-04-13 | 198 | $286M | $270M |
| 2026-04-20 | 191 | $305M | $300M |
| 2026-04-27 | 184 | $329M | $324M |
| 2026-05-04 | 177 | $379M | $357M |
| 2026-05-11 | 170 | $423M | $378M |
| 2026-05-18 | 163 | $464M | $389M |
| 2026-05-25 | 156 | $495M | $404M |
| 2026-06-01 | 149 | $528M | $423M |
| 2026-06-08 | 142 | $572M | $443M |
| 2026-06-15 | 135 | $616M | $460M |
| 2026-06-22 | 128 | $635M | $474M |
| 2026-06-29 | 121 | $649M | $496M |
| 2026-07-06 | 114 | $675M | $526M |
| 2026-07-13 | 107 | $703M | $558M |
| 2026-07-20 | 100 | $740M | $585M |
| 2026-07-27 | 93 | $793M | $613M |
| 2026-08-03 | 86 | $839M | $638M |
| 2026-08-10 | 79 | $871M | $721M |
| 2026-08-17 | 72 | $907M | $730M |
| 2026-08-24 | 65 | $939M | $767M |
| 2026-08-31 | 58 | $1.04B | $833M |
| 2026-09-07 | 51 | $1.22B | $910M |
| 2026-09-14 | 44 | $1.41B | $1.01B |
| 2026-09-21 | 37 | $1.64B | $1.12B |
| 2026-09-28 | 30 | $1.99B | $1.26B |
| 2026-10-05 | 23 | $2.39B | $1.40B |
| 2026-10-12 | 16 | $2.85B | $1.59B |
| 2026-10-19 | 9 | $3.47B | $1.82B |
| 2026-10-26 | 6 | $3.49B | $2.00B |
Source & notes
Source: FEC 24/48-hour independent-expenditure reports (bulk files for 2022 and 2026), dated by dissemination. Both cycles cleaned the same way: amended filings superseded, single rows of $100M or more dropped as junk filings, presidential rows dropped. Party committees (DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, NRSC, state parties) are left out of both years: since the Supreme Court's NRSC v. FEC ruling (June 30, 2026) parties can spend unlimited amounts in coordination with candidates, so their 2026 independent expenditures nearly vanished. Aligned by days before Election Day (Nov. 8, 2022; Nov. 3, 2026). These 24/48-hour reports run ahead of the FEC's official periodic summaries. The last week is partial (through Oct. 28, 2026). Nominal dollars.Top 12 races · outside money by party side
FEC| Race | Total | Republican side | Democratic side | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX Senate | $443.7M | $353.3M | $90.4M | $1K |
| OH Senate | $365.7M | $234.1M | $128.4M | $3.2M |
| MI Senate | $291.1M | $155.3M | $135.8M | $0K |
| IA Senate | $178.2M | $82.9M | $94.6M | $661K |
| ME Senate | $127.0M | $79.2M | $47.8M | $3K |
| AK Senate | $96.7M | $48.9M | $47.0M | $839K |
| NC Senate | $77.5M | $48.4M | $29.1M | $25K |
| KS Senate | $70.4M | $26.9M | $43.3M | $188K |
| NH Senate | $63.7M | $41.1M | $22.5M | $106K |
| SC Senate | $56.5M | $43.5M | $13.0M | $7K |
| NE Senate | $55.3M | $1.6M | $18.5M | $35.2M |
| KY Senate | $47.7M | $47.5M | $191K | $0K |
Source & notes
Source: FEC 24/48-hour independent-expenditure reports, primaries through general, through Oct. 28, 2026 (amended filings superseded). Party side — general elections: spending for a party's candidate or against the other party's; primaries: all spending in that party's primary, for or against. "Other / unknown": independents (e.g. Dan Osborn in Nebraska) and filings with no party on record. Party colors follow the site palette (red is reserved for undisclosed money). Nominal dollars.Biggest outside spenders
| Committee | Side | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Senate Leadership Fund | R 98% | $299.9M |
| No Going Back PAC | R 99% | $232.4M |
| WinSenate | D 100% | $221.2M |
| House Majority PAC | D 100% | $192.6M |
| Congressional Leadership Fund | R 99% | $181.7M |
| Texas PAC | R 100% | $181.6M |
| Defend American Jobs | R 89% | $101.5M |
| Americans for Prosperity Action | R 99% | $100.8M |
| America PAC | R 100% | $71.6M |
| Lower Costs Now | D 99% | $65.1M |
| United Democracy Project (AIPAC) | D 91% | $54.1M |
| LCV Victory Fund | D 97% | $47.0M |
Side = share of the committee's spending on one party's side. Top 40 and totals by type: dataset.
Elon Musk's 2025–26 contributions, by recipient
FEC Schedule A| Recipient | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| America PAC (Musk-founded) | $177.7M | Excludes $36.3M America PAC reported as memo entries attributed to Musk; spent $33.7M in the Texas Senate general for Paxton/against Talarico |
| Senate Leadership Fund (GOP Senate super PAC) | $168.0M | Transferred $75M (2026-09-10) and $83M (2026-09-24) to Texas PAC, which backs Ken Paxton — each one day after, and identical to, a Musk contribution |
| Congressional Leadership Fund (GOP House super PAC) | $30.0M | Spends on U.S. House races nationally |
| Fight for Kentucky | $10.0M | Supported Nate Morris and opposed Andy Barr in the Kentucky GOP Senate primary |
| Lone Star Liberty PAC (Texas) | $10.0M | Spent $20.1M in the Texas Senate general for Paxton/against Talarico, plus $7.5M in the GOP primary and runoff |
| MAGA Inc. (pro-Trump) | $5.0M | Spent $37.6M in the Texas Senate general for Paxton/against Talarico |
| V-PAC: Victors, Not Victims | $5.0M | |
| Aurora Action Network | $1.5M | |
| Candidate campaigns (direct, Republican) | $154K | Maximum-limit gifts to ~25 Republican House and Senate campaigns, mostly March 2025 |
Source & notes
Source: FEC Schedule A — processed filings plus raw e-filings — contributor "Musk, Elon," Jan. 1, 2025 to Oct. 28, 2026. Excludes $36.3M that America PAC reported as memo entries attributed to Musk, conduit (WinRed) duplicates, and any gifts through groups that do not disclose donors. "Routed to the Texas Senate race": the $158M Senate Leadership Fund passed to Texas PAC in two transfers matching Musk's gifts, and Musk's $10M to Lone Star Liberty PAC. Nominal dollars.Outside money vs. what the candidates raised
| Race | Outside | Candidates raised | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX Senate | $443.7M | $199.1M | 2.2× |
| OH Senate | $365.7M | $93.6M | 3.9× |
| MI Senate | $291.1M | $102.3M | 2.8× |
| IA Senate | $178.2M | $43.0M | 4.1× |
| ME Senate | $127.0M | $64.1M | 2.0× |
| AK Senate | $96.7M | $48.4M | 2.0× |
| NC Senate | $77.5M | $68.9M | 1.1× |
| KS Senate | $70.4M | $25.9M | 2.7× |
| NH Senate | $63.7M | $32.5M | 2.0× |
| SC Senate | $56.5M | $46.1M | 1.2× |
Candidates raised = total receipts of every 2026 candidate in the race, primaries included, through each campaign's latest report. All 197 races: dataset.
Texas, the most expensive race: Texas dashboard. Party side: in general elections, spending for a party's candidate or against the other party's; in primaries, all spending in that party's primary. Party committees are not counted as outside money: since the Supreme Court's NRSC v. FEC ruling (June 30, 2026) they may spend without limit in coordination with candidates, reported on Schedule F of their monthly reports (dataset).