Radio Political Dollars Surge, With Post-Labor Day Rush Coming.

The amount of money spent on radio during the midterm election cycle has jumped 22% in the past month, with the vast majority of ad dollars expected to come following Labor Day. The ad-tracking firm AdImpact reports $124 million has been spent on political ads on the radio so far. That is up from $101 million a month ago.

The acceleration is only beginning. AdImpact data both the 2022 and 2024 election cycles, spending rose sharply from August through September and then roughly doubled again in October.

The increase is part of a broader flood of political money. AdImpact says roughly $6.1 billion has now been spent across broadcast television, cable, radio, digital, satellite and connected TV in 2026 races. That is up from $4.79 billion as of mid-July 16, an increase of roughly 27% in little more than a month.

Broadcast television remains by far the biggest beneficiary, with $3.12 billion spent so far. Connected TV ranks second at $1.14 billion, followed by digital at $937 million and cable at $770 million. Radio’s $124 million puts it ahead of satellite, which has collected $51 million.

Outside groups are driving much of the spending. Issue groups account for $4.09 billion, more than twice the $1.98 billion spent by candidates themselves. Coordinated buys account for another $86 million. That figure is expected to be a larger part of media strategies in the coming weeks after the Supreme Court ruled in June.

Big-Money Races Drive Cycle

The biggest individual races show how quickly the dollars are piling up. California’s gubernatorial race leads with $332 million in political advertising. While that has largely been focused on the primary season, the remaining of the big money aligns with battleground races. The Ohio U.S. Senate election has the second-biggest ad total at $264 million, with the race becoming increasingly competitive. That story is similar in the remaining top five races, including the Georgia governor race, where ad spending now totals $243 million. Meanwhile, the Maine Senate race has generated $203 million, and the Texas Senate contest has reached $198 million in ad spending.

The Republican’s Senate Leadership Fund is the biggest individual advertiser with $263 million according to AdImpact analysis, followed by the Democrat’s House Majority PAC at $226 million. Billionaire Tom Steyer’s California gubernatorial campaign ranks third. He spent $210 million on an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination. Rounding out the top five are the Democratic-aligned WinSenate, which has spent $199 million, and the GOP’s Congressional Leadership Fund, which has spent $168 million.

Biggest Months Still Ahead

The impact of spending by AdImpact shows the money is also concentrating in some of the biggest markets. Los Angeles leads with $270 million in political spending, followed by Washington at $228 million and Atlanta at $226 million. Detroit has attracted $157 million, while Portland, ME has seen $147 million.

If history is any guide, those totals are about to get much bigger. The 2022 and 2024 spending patterns both show the same basic trajectory with a relatively steady first half of the year, a noticeable increase in August, a much steeper rise in September and a massive October peak as campaigns make their final push. That late-cycle surge is especially important for radio, which stands to benefit from the sheer volume of money entering the market.

AdImpact projects a record $11.6 billion in political advertising during the 2026 cycle, with radio to capture $273 million. With $124 million already spent, radio is about 45% of the way to that projection.

The historical spending pattern suggests there could be room for radio to outperform that forecast. There is also strong momentum as overall 2026 political spending is also running ahead of the comparable point in the 2022 midterm cycle. That doesn’t guarantee radio will achieve that goal. But with the heaviest spending period still ahead, the current pace leaves open the possibility that radio could finish the cycle above forecast.