Radio Political Spending Tops $100 Million.

Political advertisers have now spent more than $100 million on radio during the 2026 election cycle according to new data from AdImpact, as overall campaign advertising across all media approaches $4.8 billion with the busiest buying months still ahead.

AdImpact says radio has received $101 million in political advertising to date. While that trails broadcast television's $2.32 billion haul, it underscores radio's continued role in campaign media plans as candidates, parties and outside groups prepare for what is expected to be a record-breaking fall advertising blitz.

Overall, AdImpact has tracked roughly $4.79 billion in political spending across radio, broadcast television, cable TV, connected TV, digital and satellite. Broadcast television continues to dominate the media mix, accounting for $2.32 billion, followed by connected TV at $907 million, digital at $797 million, cable at $638 million, radio at $101 million and satellite at $39 million.

While some listeners and viewers have already been bombarded with political advertising, the biggest spending still lies ahead. AdImpact recently increased its projection for the 2026 election cycle to a record $11.6 billion, fueled by competitive Senate, gubernatorial and House races across the country.

Republican advertisers currently hold the spending edge, accounting for $2.10 billion compared with $1.83 billion by Democratic advertisers. Independent groups have spent another $870 million.

Campaigns continue to rely far more heavily on outside organizations than on candidates themselves. Issue groups have spent $3.31 billion so far, compared with $1.44 billion by candidate committees. Coordinated party buys account for just $51.4 million so far, but that mix could soon change.

The Supreme Court last month struck down federal limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates, a decision expected to reshape campaign advertising ahead of the 2026 midterms. The practical implications for campaign advertising is that more of the political spending will likely be done by the parties since in federal races they will now have access to the lowest unit rates that had previously been limited to the candidates themselves. That pricing applies 45 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election.

“Lowest unit rate access makes coordinated broadcast buys more cost-efficient for committees, not less, which argues for holding or even increasing their share of broadcast rather than shrinking it,” AdImpact says in a blog post. But if inventory is exhausted in competitive markets, it says some dollars could spill into digital channels. “Core advertisers may feel this squeeze the most,” it adds.

Where Spending Is Strongest

The political map determines where spending is robust and which broadcast groups benefit most.

AdImpact reports California's gubernatorial race has become the nation's most expensive contest at $332 million in advertising, followed by the Ohio Senate special election ($180 million), the Texas Senate race ($178 million), the Georgia governor's race ($169 million), and Maine's Senate race ($166 million).

An analysis of ad creative by AdImpact also reveals that President Donald Trump remains the dominant issue in campaign messaging for both parties. Republican advertisers have devoted nearly $480 million to ads which mention Trump. He leads issues including taxation, immigration, character, crime and law enforcement in GOP ads.

On the Democratic side, advertisers have also centered their messaging on the President, spending roughly $481 million on Trump-related advertising. Other ads by Democrats focus on healthcare, taxation, housing, and ICE.

For broadcasters, television continues to capture the lion's share of campaign spending. AdImpact estimates Gray Television leading at $320 million in political revenue so far, followed by Nexstar ($312 million), Fox Television Stations ($291 million), Tegna ($274 million) and Sinclair ($230 million). But with billions expected to be spent before Election Day, radio and TV stations alike are positioned to capture significantly more revenue as campaigns shift into their traditional post-Labor Day advertising push.