Trump-aligned PACs spend over $300 million on 2026 midterm races
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Trump-aligned PACs pour more than $300 million into 2026 midterm battles

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Summary

Super PACs tied to President Donald Trump have unleashed over $300 million on House and Senate races, with a growing share funneled through newly created groups designed to amplify Republican spending.

President Donald Trump’s main super PAC, MAGA Inc., reported $300.5 million in disbursements through Oct. 14, according to Federal Election Commission filings. About $75.5 million of that sum was spent in the first two weeks of October alone, while the committee still held $164.3 million in cash. Trump said the operation is aiming to push total spending past $400 million by Election Day.

MAGA Inc. has transferred $200 million to No Going Back PAC and $25 million to Safety & Affordability PAC. The two groups have together reported more than $209 million in independent expenditures, underscoring how the Trump political network is channeling enormous sums into the 2026 fight. Safety & Affordability PAC has assigned money to several competitive districts, including $3.76 million in Arizona’s 1st, $1.84 million in Maine’s 2nd, $1.60 million in Wisconsin’s 3rd, $1.48 million in North Carolina’s 1st and $1.40 million in Ohio’s 10th, as well as over $1 million each to Pennsylvania’s 8th, Ohio’s 9th and Michigan’s 7th.

The Cook Political Report lists Wisconsin’s 3rd, North Carolina’s 1st, Pennsylvania’s 8th, Ohio’s 9th and Michigan’s 7th among its 21 “Toss-Up” races. In Ohio’s 10th District, Safety & Affordability PAC has spent about $1.4 million defending Republican Rep. Mike Turner, whose 2024 margin was 18 points. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee now considers the seat a potential 2026 pickup, while the National Republican Congressional Committee began spending there this month.

No Going Back PAC has spent roughly $5 million each in Michigan’s 4th and North Carolina’s 11th districts, and $14.4 million combined in Florida’s 14th and 25th districts, which are held by Democrats. Meanwhile, the Congressional Leadership Fund, aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson, halted advertising in Iowa’s 1st, New Jersey’s 7th, Michigan’s 8th and Ohio’s 1st districts; Trump-aligned groups have contributed about $1.4 million to those races.

Republicans retain an advertising advantage in 25 of the 42 House races rated “Toss Up” or “Lean” by the Cook Report, even as the broader political environment is shifting toward Democrats. Of the 21 “Toss Up” races, 16 are currently held by Republicans and five by Democrats.

In the Senate, No Going Back PAC has spent nearly $30 million in Michigan, $27.8 million in Ohio, $11.8 million in New Hampshire and $9.9 million in North Carolina, totaling roughly $79 million across those four contests.

A recent New York Times/Siena College poll gave President Trump a 36 percent approval rating, with 59 percent disapproving. Voters expressed their strongest disapproval of his handling of the cost of living and gas prices. The poll also showed Democrats leading by 10 points when respondents evaluated House candidates in their districts.

To address voter turnout, MAGA Inc. reported a $16.2 million disbursement on Oct. 8 labeled “voting education.” The group has run more than 2,200 unique ads on Facebook and Instagram in over 20 states encouraging Republicans to vote early or turn out.

Source

CNBC

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