GOP super PAC announces $342M investment in midterm Senate races

The Senate Leadership Fund, a big-dollar fundraising group affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), announced Monday a whopping $342 million investment across eight high-stakes midterm Senate races. 

In its largest-ever ad buy, the Republican-led group is making an aggressive push to take the Democratic-held Senate seats in Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire, according to a release, and to defend Republican-held seats in Ohio, North Carolina, Maine, Iowa and Alaska.

The spending plan comes as Republicans fight a costly battle to hold on to their slim 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats are seeking to net four seats this fall to flip the chamber.

The biggest dollar amount, $79 million, is headed to Ohio, where former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) has lodged a comeback bid against incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (R). They’re expected to sail through their respective primaries next month and face off in a highly competitive general contest this fall. 

Another $71 million is going to North Carolina, where the race to fill retiring Sen. Thom Tillis’s (R) seat presents one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities. Roy Cooper, a popular former Democratic governor, is facing off against Michael Whatley, a former chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

More than $40 million will be focused in Georgia, Michigan and Maine — each. 

In the Peach State, Republicans are hoping to oust incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in a state President Trump won by 2 points in 2024. And in the Great Lakes State, the GOP is hopeful that former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) can flip the seat left open by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). 

The Maine dollars, aimed at protecting centrist incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R), had been previously announced.

In Iowa, where candidates on both sides of the aisle are eager to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst (R), the Senate Leadership Fund is spending another $29 million. 

The group will also spend $15 million in Alaska, where former Rep. Mary Peltola (D) is challenging incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R). A final $17 million will go toward New Hampshire, where Rep. Chris Pappas (D) and former Sen. John E. Sununu (R) are jostling to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D). 

Republicans face headwinds from the historic trend of the sitting president’s party losing out in the midterms — and Democrats have been encouraged by a string of off-year and special election wins in recent months.

Democrats now have an edge of roughly 5 points on a generic congressional ballot for the fall, according to polling averages from Decision Desk HQ.

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