Political Ad Spending Hits $5.84 Billion on Broadcast
Midterm campaigns poured billions into broadcast, CTV and cable, with Senate races in Texas, Ohio and Georgia drawing heavy spending.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Advertising
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Political advertisers spent about $5.84 billion on broadcast in the 2026 midterms cycle, roughly half of nearly $12 billion in total ad spending. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, where Paxton and allied Republicans spent upwards of $160 million on broadcast ads.
Why it matters
Broadcast metrics are easily accessible, letting advertisers track how many people they reach and when, which shapes how campaigns allocate budgets across platforms. Political spending was spread across broadcast, CTV and cable, reflecting a fragmented media environment for campaign messaging.
Political advertisers spent about $5.84 billion on broadcast in the 2026 midterms cycle, about half of nearly $12 billion total. In the Ohio Senate race, Husted and allies accounted for 61 percent of $292 million in broadcast spending, while Texas Republicans spent upwards of $160 million.
The players
James Talarico
Talarico is a Democrat who won the Texas Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton.
Ken Paxton
Paxton is a Texas Republican who lost the Senate race to Talarico after his campaign and allies spent upwards of $160 million on broadcast ads.
The details
Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, while Democrat Sherrod Brown won Ohio by 5 points and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan. CTV drew $2.61 billion in political ad spending, about 22 percent of total ad dollars, and cable drew $1.27 billion, about 11 percent.
Timeline
- Election results were delivered on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, across Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Georgia, North Carolina and Kansas.
- Political advertisers spent about $5.84 billion on broadcast over the 2026 midterms cycle.
Market Landscape
Broadcast still captured roughly half of nearly $12 billion in political ad spending this cycle, even as CTV drew $2.61 billion and cable $1.27 billion. Campaigns are spreading budgets across platforms rather than concentrating them on television alone.
Voters across Texas, Ohio and Georgia were exposed to heavy broadcast, CTV and cable campaign messaging during the midterms. The spending pattern suggests political ads will keep reaching households through multiple screens rather than only traditional television.
The takeaway
Campaign ad budgets are increasingly divided across broadcast, connected TV and cable rather than concentrated in a single medium. Tracking where dollars go helps readers understand how political messages reach them.
Further reading
Explore more Advertising coverage on how campaign ad budgets are shifting across media platforms.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Campaigns & Elections.
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