Still countingSnapshot By the Adsmom data teamCite this data
2026 midterm political ad spending: the $532M+ fight for your feed
Political ads on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google since October 1, 2026, updated until election day.
$189MDemocratic side
+ $203Mballot measures, smaller campaigns and other political advertisers
$140MRepublican side
57%43%
The bar splits the $328M of party money.
- 69%of party money goes to Google, mostly YouTube
- $28M a dayspent last week (Oct 18–24)
- 427,000+ads, Oct 1–26
- Nov 3election day
The map
Political ad spending by state: where the ad war is fiercest
Democratic-side vs Republican-side money in every state. Click a state for its top spenders, issues and tone. Big money marks close races, not likely winners.
Selected state
Texas
$65M
$24M Dem sideRep side $27M
53% Republican-side
Top advertisers
- MAGA Inc.$5.1M
- Texans for Greg Abbott$4.7M
- Texas Forever$4.3M
- Dem side 65%+
- Dem side 55–65%
- Close: 45–55% each
- Rep side 55–65%
- Rep side 65%+
- Too little party money to compare
Source: Meta and Google ad libraries, Oct 1–26, 2026. adsmom.com/midterms-2026
Top 16 states by ad spend
- Democratic side
- Republican side
- Ballot measures
- Smaller campaigns & other
All 50 states and DC as a table
| State | Total | Dem side | Rep side | Ballot | Other | Dem share | Total per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $71M | $9.3M | $1.6M | $37M | $22M | 86% | $1,783 |
| Texas | $65M | $24M | $27M | $62k | $15M | 47% | $2,231 |
| Ohio | $52M | $22M | $23M | $11k | $6.8M | 49% | $4,401 |
| Michigan | $37M | $18M | $11M | $590k | $7.8M | 63% | $3,703 |
| Florida | $26M | $7.1M | $9.5M | $825k | $8.4M | 43% | $1,197 |
| Iowa | $23M | $12M | $8.1M | $82k | $3.4M | 59% | $7,319 |
| Georgia | $20M | $10.0M | $5.4M | $13k | $4.3M | 65% | $1,839 |
| Pennsylvania | $16M | $6.8M | $3.6M | $84k | $5.8M | 66% | $1,255 |
| Arizona | $16M | $5.9M | $6.1M | $214k | $4.0M | 49% | $2,274 |
| Wisconsin | $16M | $5.5M | $6.0M | $140k | $4.2M | 48% | $2,689 |
| New York | $15M | $6.5M | $2.1M | $47k | $6.1M | 75% | $730 |
| North Carolina | $12M | $4.9M | $2.2M | $12k | $5.1M | 69% | $1,169 |
| Maine | $11M | $5.1M | $4.7M | $2k | $1.7M | 52% | $8,402 |
| Colorado | $11M | $3.4M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $4.2M | 71% | $1,892 |
| Kansas | $10M | $5.4M | $2.9M | $6k | $2.0M | 65% | $3,501 |
| Alaska | $10M | $5.9M | $2.8M | $515k | $983k | 68% | $13,902 |
| Minnesota | $9.9M | $3.8M | $2.5M | $109k | $3.5M | 61% | $1,739 |
| Illinois | $9.6M | $4.4M | $901k | $28k | $4.3M | 83% | $752 |
| Virginia | $8.5M | $3.7M | $1.7M | $186k | $2.9M | 68% | $979 |
| Nevada | $7.4M | $3.2M | $1.5M | $6k | $2.7M | 68% | $2,392 |
| South Carolina | $6.4M | $1.6M | $3.2M | $7k | $1.6M | 33% | $1,252 |
| New Hampshire | $5.6M | $1.9M | $2.4M | $2k | $1.3M | 45% | $4,029 |
| Nebraska | $5.2M | $1.1M | $1.7M | $517k | $1.8M | 39% | $2,658 |
| Missouri | $5.2M | $905k | $530k | $1.7M | $2.0M | 63% | $837 |
| Oregon | $5.0M | $2.0M | $622k | $76k | $2.3M | 76% | $1,186 |
| Washington | $4.6M | $1.6M | $1.0M | $25k | $1.9M | 61% | $600 |
| New Jersey | $4.5M | $1.6M | $458k | $7k | $2.5M | 78% | $488 |
| Massachusetts | $4.5M | $1.5M | $436k | $229k | $2.3M | 78% | $636 |
| Tennessee | $3.9M | $652k | $850k | $8k | $2.4M | 43% | $569 |
| Indiana | $3.8M | $628k | $448k | $7k | $2.8M | 58% | $565 |
| Alabama | $3.0M | $532k | $1.1M | $6k | $1.4M | 32% | $599 |
| Kentucky | $3.0M | $583k | $670k | $5k | $1.7M | 47% | $667 |
| Montana | $2.9M | $671k | $363k | $531k | $1.3M | 65% | $2,667 |
| Connecticut | $2.9M | $924k | $323k | $3k | $1.6M | 74% | $800 |
| New Mexico | $2.7M | $956k | $367k | $129k | $1.3M | 72% | $1,282 |
| Maryland | $2.4M | $819k | $38k | $9k | $1.6M | – | $396 |
| Oklahoma | $2.2M | $226k | $679k | $4k | $1.3M | – | $558 |
| Louisiana | $2.0M | $191k | $279k | $63k | $1.5M | – | $432 |
| Mississippi | $1.9M | $785k | $96k | $3k | $1.0M | – | $647 |
| Arkansas | $1.9M | $309k | $224k | $3k | $1.4M | – | $633 |
| Utah | $1.3M | $162k | $39k | $147k | $960k | – | $400 |
| Idaho | $1.3M | $105k | $184k | $232k | $781k | – | $708 |
| West Virginia | $966k | $75k | $274k | $2k | $614k | – | $538 |
| South Dakota | $748k | $49k | $75k | $15k | $609k | – | $843 |
| District of Columbia | $740k | $235k | $3k | $10k | $492k | – | $1,073 |
| Hawaii | $679k | $135k | $9k | $2k | $534k | – | $467 |
| Rhode Island | $642k | $178k | $9k | $1k | $453k | – | $585 |
| North Dakota | $477k | $31k | $9k | $12k | $426k | – | $612 |
| Vermont | $475k | $127k | $7k | $813 | $340k | – | $738 |
| Delaware | $433k | $123k | $8k | $975 | $301k | – | $438 |
| Wyoming | $270k | $31k | $8k | $947 | $230k | – | $469 |
Meta: each ad’s delivery by state. Google: estimated from targeting. A state gets a color only with enough party money ($1M on both platforms, $500k on one). Oct 1–26, 2026.
Over time
Weekly political ad spending: the money is exploding
Weekly spend on Meta and Google since June. The week of Oct 18: at least $198M, a record.
- Democratic side
- Republican side
- Ballot measures
- Smaller campaigns and other political advertisers
- This week so far, to Oct 26
Weekly political ad spend on Meta and Google from the week of June 7 to the week of Oct 25, 2026. The biggest complete week, starting Oct 18, drew at least $198M: Democratic side $67.2M, Republican side $53.7M.
Weekly numbers as a table
| Week of | All ads | Democratic side | Republican side | Meta | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7 | $28.2M | $3.7M | $2.5M | $14.9M | $13.3M |
| Jun 14 | $33.1M | $4.5M | $2.2M | $16.9M | $16.2M |
| Jun 21 | $31.4M | $4.8M | $2.0M | $17.0M | $14.4M |
| Jun 28 | $28.4M | $5.2M | $1.8M | $15.6M | $12.8M |
| Jul 5 | $23.8M | $4.4M | $2.2M | $13.4M | $10.4M |
| Jul 12 | $28.1M | $5.6M | $3.1M | $14.2M | $13.9M |
| Jul 19 | $29.7M | $6.7M | $3.5M | $15.2M | $14.4M |
| Jul 26 | $34.5M | $7.9M | $4.8M | $16.6M | $17.9M |
| Aug 2 | $36.0M | $8.4M | $6.2M | $17.4M | $18.6M |
| Aug 9 | $38.2M | $9.2M | $7.4M | $17.0M | $21.2M |
| Aug 16 | $42.2M | $10.5M | $8.0M | $18.2M | $24.1M |
| Aug 23 | $46.8M | $12.5M | $8.5M | $19.3M | $27.6M |
| Aug 30 | $49.8M | $14.3M | $10.8M | $19.3M | $30.5M |
| Sep 6 | $58.1M | $18.9M | $14.4M | $20.7M | $37.4M |
| Sep 13 | $77.4M | $23.6M | $20.1M | $24.7M | $52.6M |
| Sep 20 | $84.8M | $28.5M | $22.6M | $27.7M | $57.1M |
| Sep 27 | $98.1M | $36.5M | $25.2M | $31.3M | $66.8M |
| Oct 4 | $118.4M | $44.3M | $31.5M | $38.2M | $80.2M |
| Oct 11 | $149.2M | $54.8M | $39.0M | $52.0M | $97.2M |
| Oct 18 | $197.7M | $67.2M | $53.7M | $71.9M | $125.8M |
| Oct 25 (to Oct 26) | $23.8M | $6.4M | $4.6M | $23.8M | $0.0M |
Biggest spenders on Meta this week
Oct 19–25 vs Oct 12–18: $74.9M on Meta, +37%. Meta only: Google reports weekly and a day or two late.
| # | Advertiser | Side | This week | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAGA Inc. | Republican | $5.2M | +56% |
| 2 | Kalshi | Other | $4.1M | +78% |
| 3 | Lower Costs Now | Democratic | $2.1M | +20% |
| 4 | WinSenate | Democratic | $1.8M | +11% |
| 5 | Yes on 42 | Ballot measure | $1.4M | +239% |
| 6 | Senate Leadership Fund | Republican | $1.3M | +22% |
| 7 | America PAC | Republican | $1.2M | +5% |
| 8 | Working America | Democratic | $1.2M | +278% |
| 9 | Talarico for Texas | Democratic | $1.1M | +19% |
| 10 | No on Prop 40 | Ballot measure | $1.0M | +49% |
Follow the money
The 25 biggest political advertisers on Meta and Google
Meta and Google combined, Oct 1–26. No. 1 is a prediction market, not a campaign.
| # | Advertiser | Side | Total | Meta | Compared with the #1 advertiser | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kalshi | Prediction market | $28.0M | $20M | $8.1M | |
| 2 | WinSenate | Democratic | $19.2M | $14M | $5.1M | |
| 3 | MAGA Inc. | Republican | $17.8M | $8.7M | $9.1M | |
| 4 | Senate Leadership Fund | Republican | $15.9M | $12M | $3.6M | |
| 5 | House Majority PAC | Democratic | $15.7M | $15M | $831k | |
| 6 | Lower Costs Now | Democratic | $11.6M | $6.2M | $5.4M | |
| 7 | Congressional Leadership Fund | Republican | $8.7M | $7.9M | $781k | |
| 8 | No on Prop 40 | Ballot measure | $8.6M | $5.9M | $2.7M | |
| 9 | America PAC | Republican | $8.1M | $4.1M | $4.0M | |
| 10 | Jon Ossoff for Senate | Democratic | $7.7M | $6.3M | $1.4M | |
| 11 | Talarico for Texas | Democratic | $7.4M | $4.1M | $3.2M | |
| 12 | Yes on 42 | Ballot measure | $7.3M | $5.0M | $2.3M | |
| 13 | No Going Back PAC | Republican | $6.4M | $6.4M | – | |
| 14 | One Nation | Republican | $5.5M | $4.2M | $1.2M | |
| 15 | Texas Forever | Democratic | $5.1M | $4.3M | $868k | |
| 16 | Texans for Greg Abbott | Republican | $4.9M | $4.7M | $219k | |
| 17 | Texas PAC | Republican | $4.8M | $3.9M | $898k | |
| 18 | LCV Victory Fund | Democratic | $4.5M | $4.1M | $409k | |
| 19 | Yes on 38 | Ballot measure | $4.4M | $3.1M | $1.3M | |
| 20 | Abdul for Senate | Democratic | $4.3M | $1.7M | $2.6M | |
| 21 | DNC | Democratic | $4.1M | $1.7M | $2.4M | |
| 22 | Byron Donalds | Republican | $3.8M | $3.8M | – | |
| 23 | Turning Point PAC | Republican | $3.7M | $1.2M | $2.5M | |
| 24 | Jackson for Governor | Republican | $3.6M | $3.2M | $421k | |
| 25 | Yes on Prop 3 | Ballot measure | $3.3M | $2.8M | $543k |
Names shortened from the ad libraries. Google: weekly totals. Meta: estimated from spend ranges. “–” means under $50k.
The messages
What the ads say: same election, two different wars
Democratic-side ads: corruption, health care, prices. Republican-side ads: taxes, transgender issues. Both mostly attack. Main topic per ad, Meta and Google, Oct 1–26; 84% of party spend has a topic.
Topics cover all Meta ads and the Google videos labeled so far (76% of Google spend); the rest is Google text and image ads, removed ads and videos not yet labeled.
Show all 26 topics
- Democratic side
- Republican side
How they say it
Both sides mostly attack
Attack ads, share of labeled spend
51%
60%
Ads that go after the other party
71%
72%
Who the ads speak to
Republican-side ads rally the base. Democratic-side ads talk to everyone.
Ads that name their own base (progressives / conservatives)
6.0%
22%
Ads aimed at everyone, no group named
60%
45%
Who sees them (Meta)
Democratic-side ads reach more women and under-35s
Impressions by genderWomenMen
53%
47%
Impressions by ageUnder 3535 to 5455 and over
34%
24%
See the full breakdown: tone, attacks, groups, age and gender
Tone and attacks
Share of each side’s labeled spend, Meta and Google.
Tone
- Positive
- Contrast
- Attack
- Informational
Who the ad goes after
- Attacks Republicans
- Attacks Democrats
- Attacks nobody
Groups the ads speak to
Share of labeled spend whose text names a group. The rest speaks to everyone (Democratic side 60%, Republican side 45%).
Group addressed
- Parents & families
- Conservatives
- Workers & unions
- Seniors
- Progressives
- Women
- Farmers & rural
- Latino
- Independents
- Veterans
Who sees them (Meta)
Meta only: share of each side’s impressions. Who saw the ads, not who they targeted.
Age
- 18-24
- 25-34
- 35-44
- 45-54
- 55-64
- 65 and over
Gender
- Women
- Men
Key findings
Eight numbers that explain this election online
+110%
The Republican side is catching up late
Republican-side spend on Meta, Oct 14–26 vs Oct 1–13 (Democratic side: +55%). MAGA Inc. started 7,391 Meta ads from Oct 14, worth $9.1M.
90%+
Republican-side LGBTQ ads are attack ads, and mostly in Texas
Republican-side LGBTQ and gender ads ($13.0M) are 91% attacks on Meta and 98% on Google, 1.8 times its immigration spend. 55% of all LGBTQ ad money runs in Texas.
2%
Abortion barely registers
Abortion is the main topic of 2.0% of Democratic-side labeled spend. Data centers and AI drew more ($13.7M vs $5.8M). Top Democratic-side topics: corruption $30M, health care $21M, cost of living $21M.
7 states
Half of the party money lands in 7 close states
Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Florida, Arizona, Wisconsin and Maine: $165M, 50% of all party money, and neither side above 60%. In Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania the Democratic side outspends at least 1.7 to 1.
$28.0M
The biggest advertiser isn’t a campaign
Kalshi, a betting market for the races, spent $28.0M on Meta and Google, $19.9M of it on Google: more than any candidate, party or super PAC. Counted in the totals, for neither side.
$11.86
Small states draw the most money per person
Party ad money per resident: Alaska $11.86, Maine $7.17, Iowa $6.23. In Texas, the biggest battleground: $1.73.
51% vs 60%
Both sides go negative. One also asks for cash.
Attack ads as a share of labeled spend, Democratic vs Republican side. On Meta, 38% of Democratic-side labeled money asks for donations; Republican side 4.4%.
$198M
The most expensive week yet
Week of Oct 18–24, Meta and Google: up from $98M three weeks earlier, and six times a typical week in late July.
FAQ
Questions about 2026 midterm ad spending
How much is being spent on political ads in the 2026 midterms?
At least $532 million on Meta and Google from October 1 to 26, 2026, and still growing: $200.4 million on Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and $331.8 million on Google, mostly YouTube video (Google takes 69% of party money). Of that, $328 million comes from advertisers on the Democratic or Republican side; the rest is ballot measures, smaller campaigns not yet labeled and other political advertisers, including some Meta issue ads that are not about the election. The week of Oct 18–24 set a record of at least $198 million. Google reports late, so recent totals will rise.
Are Democrats or Republicans spending more on 2026 midterm ads online?
Democratic-side advertisers spent at least $188 million on Meta and Google from October 1 to 26, 2026; Republican-side advertisers $140 million (57% to 43%). Republican-side Meta spend changed +110% from October 1–13 to October 14–26 (Democratic side +55%). Sides label who paid: candidates, parties, PACs and super PACs.
Which states have the most political ad spending in 2026?
October 1 to 26, 2026, Meta and Google: California $71 million (mostly ballot measures), Texas $65 million, Ohio $52 million, Michigan $37 million, Florida $26 million. Party money only: Texas $50.3 million (53% Republican-side), Ohio $45.1 million (51% Republican-side), Michigan $28.9 million (63% Democratic-side).
Which swing states are seeing the most political ad spending in 2026?
7 states drew at least $5 million of party money with neither side above 60% (October 1–26, Meta and Google): Texas ($50.3M), Ohio ($45.1M), Iowa ($19.9M), Florida ($16.5M), Arizona ($12.0M), Wisconsin ($11.5M) and Maine ($9.8M). Together: $165 million, 50% of all party money.
Who are the biggest political advertisers on Meta and Google in 2026?
October 1 to 26, 2026, Meta and Google combined: Kalshi $28.0 million, WinSenate $19.2 million (Democratic side), MAGA Inc. $17.8 million (Republican side), Senate Leadership Fund $15.9 million (Republican side), House Majority PAC $15.7 million (Democratic side).
How much is Kalshi spending on political ads?
Kalshi, a prediction market for bets on the races, spent $28.0 million on Meta and Google from October 1 to 26, 2026, $19.9 million of it on Google. That is more than any candidate, party or super PAC on the two platforms.
What are 2026 midterm political ads about?
Democratic-side money leads on corruption ($30 million), health care ($21 million), cost of living ($21 million) and donation asks ($20 million). Republican-side money leads on taxes ($27 million), crime ($14 million), LGBTQ and gender issues ($13 million) and voting ($13 million). Attack ads: 60% of Republican-side and 51% of Democratic-side labeled spend.
When does Meta stop accepting political ads before the 2026 election?
Meta takes no new political ads from October 27, 2026 until election day, November 3. Ads already running keep running.
Does this include TV ads, and how accurate is it?
No TV. Meta and Google only, from their public ad libraries: 368,863 Meta political and issue ads and 58,143 Google election ads since October 1, 2026. Meta publishes spend as ranges; we use midpoints. For September 16 to October 15 our method came to 103% of Meta’s own Ad Library Report total.
Methodology and notes
- Sources. Meta Ad Library API: every US political and issue ad delivered since October 1, 2026, pulled Oct 26, 6:30 PM ET (368,863 ads). Google’s public political ads dataset (BigQuery), as updated Oct 26 (58,143 ads); Google lists election ads only. Public data only.
- Live numbers. The page is refreshed from new pulls until election day, so every total is “so far” and still growing. Meta counts to the snapshot; Google publishes a day or two late and has reported through Oct 24. The current week is drawn as unfinished.
- Spend and impressions. Meta gives lifetime ranges per ad: we use the midpoint and keep the share of days inside the window. Google: weekly totals per advertiser (the week of September 27 counted for its October days, later weeks as reported so far). Impressions are a minimum: the largest ads are capped at 1M (Meta) or 10M (Google).
- Accuracy check. September 16 to October 15: our national total came to 103% of Meta’s own Ad Library Report, each state 98% to 115%, the median top-100 advertiser 100%.
- States. Meta: each ad’s own delivery by state; ads without one count nationally only. Google: estimated from each ad’s targeting, split by population and scaled to the advertiser’s weekly total.
- Sides. The paying advertiser is labeled Democratic side, Republican side, ballot measure, or issue group and other, from its name, pages, ads and web sources, with AI-assisted research. Super PACs count for the side they back. Prediction markets (Kalshi) are in both platforms’ political ad libraries, so they count in the totals but for neither side. Labels cover 85% of spend; the unlabeled rest is mostly thousands of small campaigns and PACs, so both sides’ totals are floors. “Democratic-side spend” means advertisers backing Democrats, not the party’s budget. Not every ad is about the midterms: Meta’s library also holds social-issue ads from companies, media and advocacy groups (for example Shell, JPMorgan Chase, The Daily Wire), counted under issue group and other.
- Topics, tone and attacks. Gemini 3.8 Flash labeled every Meta ad text and the largest Google videos (videos with a topic cover about 76% of Google spend). A blind AI review (not a human review) of 120 representative Meta ad texts found the main topic right in 96%, the tone in 99% and the party attacked in 98%; Google labels were not reviewed. Read attack and contrast together as the negative share.
- Who sees the ads. Meta only: impressions by age and gender, weighted by each ad’s impressions. Who saw the ads, not who they targeted.
- Spend over time. Weekly from June 7, Meta and Google, Sunday to Saturday weeks. The current week holds the days so far.
- Limits. Meta and Google only: no TV, connected TV, audio, X, TikTok or programmatic. Google excludes issue ads. All figures are rounded estimates. Spend shows who bought attention, not who will win.
- Credits. Donkey and elephant icons: Font Awesome Free (fontawesome.com), CC BY 4.0. Share-image illustration generated with Google Gemini; the figures on it are ours.
Want the data for your race, state or brand?
Ad-level data for any race, state or advertiser: spend, reach, targeting, topic and tone. Adsmom tracks ads across Meta, Google, TikTok and LinkedIn.
How to cite this data
Free to quote; please credit Adsmom and link here. Suggested citation:
Adsmom (adsmom.com), US Midterms 2026: political ad spending on Meta and Google, data through October 26, 2026. adsmom.com/midterms-2026