Senate candidates spent $15 million on ads to donors in other states
Analysis shows nearly three-quarters of that spending targeted audiences outside the candidates' home districts.
By Amira Patel ·
Candidates for four key Senate seats in Iowa, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas have spent more than $15 million on digital ads aimed at raising money from people who do not live in their states. An analysis of Google Ads from the 2025-26 election cycle reveals that approximately 75% of this expenditure went toward national audiences rather than local voters. This spending pattern reflects a strategic shift toward securing financial support from beyond state lines.
For some incumbents and challengers, out-of-state money has become the primary funding source. More than 80% of the itemized individual contributions for Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff and Iowa Democratic nominee Josh Turek came from donors outside their states. These figures are part of a wider trend affecting competitive races where the majority of campaign dollars now originate from other states.
Experts point to fundraising platforms like ActBlue and WinRed as the drivers of this change. Zachary Albert, a politics professor at Brandeis University, notes that these digital tools lower the cost of soliciting donations. He argues that even small contributions of $5 or $10 become viable for campaigns because the transaction costs have dropped significantly.
The messaging in these national ads differs from local television spots. Michael Franz of the Wesleyan Media Project explains that local TV ads often avoid party labels to appeal to swing voters. In contrast, digital ads targeting out-of-state donors frequently emphasize party identity. For example, Ohio former Senator Sherrod Brown uses ads to call for a blue Ohio, while Georgia Representative Mike Collins asks for help to turn his state's seat red. Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson highlights her "America First" stance, whereas Ossoff's ads focus on attacking President Trump.
Daniel Hopkins, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania, describes this as a new era of campaigning. Candidates now serve two distinct stakeholders: local voters and a national donor base. Hopkins notes that while Ossoff competes against Georgia Republicans for votes, he competes against other prominent Democrats for attention and donations.
The Ossoff campaign stated it does not target audiences by location and is powered by small-dollar donors. The campaign said Ossoff refuses donations from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists. Other campaigns declined to comment or did not respond to requests for interviews.
Hawaii has implemented a cap on out-of-state donations starting in 2027. Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has already spent three times as much on advertisements compared to the previous midterms, following a Supreme Court ruling in June that favored coordinated campaign spending.
Source: NPR
