Political Ad Spending Smashes Midterm Record Pace, Tops $4.4 Billion.

The record-breaking pace of political ad spending continued last month as $449.7 million of ads aired during June, according to AdImpact. That brings its cycle total to $4.43 billion, up 40% from the $3.1 billion that was spent to this point during the 2022 cycle.

The New York primary meant that state saw the biggest amount of spending, with $41.7 million of advertising bought. The New York City market saw the biggest share by far, where $32.4 million was spent on ads. Driving the total was a contested Democratic primary to fill a seat held by retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). The contest attracted $26.7 million in ad spending overall, making it the second-most expensive House primary on record. AdImpact says its tally shows that outside groups, not the candidates, were responsible for 80% of all the money that was spent in the district.

Michigan has one of the later primary dates, with voting not set to take place until Aug. 4. Nevertheless, spending has already been robust there as the Senate primary heats up. AdImpact says $40.1 million of political ads aired last month, second only to New York. Detroit was the biggest target, with $16.5 million spent on ads in that market. Among the Democrats, its report shows Rep. Haley Stevens ($33.9M) currently leads in ad support to date, holding a sizable advantage over Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow ($8.9M) and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed ($2.7M).

Meanwhile, in Ohio, the state’s gubernatorial election is shaping up to be an expensive contest, according to AdImpact data. It says the general election has already seen $35.7 million in spending and reservations. That is more than double the $17.1 million spent during Ohio’s 2022 gubernatorial general election. Republican advertisers currently hold a $13.2 million advantage, with billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy spending more than any other candidate at $6.4 million.

The early spending surge is also beginning to translate into fall inventory. AdImpact says campaigns and outside groups have already reserved $842.6 million in congressional advertising scheduled to air after Sept. 1, including $463.2 million targeting Senate races and $379.4 million aimed at House contests. Republicans currently hold a $139 million advantage in Senate reservations, while Democrats lead House reservations by $35 million. Even with nearly $1 billion already on the books, those reservations represent less than half of the congressional advertising that aired during the closing months of the 2024 election, suggesting the biggest buying spree is still to come.

As a result, AdImpact has again raised its overall forecast, now projecting a record $11.6 billion in political ad spending this cycle, up from its previous $10.8 billion estimate and above the $11.2 billion spent during the 2024 election cycle. Radio is expected to capture $273 million. And while radio’s share remains largely unchanged from the past, stations stand to gain from the record levels of spending anticipated during the current election cycle.