Digital Advertising Insights · Lucy Greider · November 2026
2026 Midterms Autopsy: The Ads that Fueled the Blue Tsunami
In the wake of a historic midterms election cycle, dive into data on the top-spending campaigns, Republican versus Democratic advertising strategies, and how each party's spend paid off in the polls.
On November 3rd, 2026, Americans anxiously watched vote counts flow in from across the country. Downloads for news apps nearly doubled in the US (+87%), while the CNN app alone drew in 10x its normal levels. The AP News app received 8.9x more downloads than usual, and Fox News 5.1x more. For months, these users had already been awash in campaign advertising; in the 30-day leadup to the 2026 midterms, US political advertisers ramped up their spend by 126% compared to the month prior.
By the next morning, results were largely determined, and citizens flocked to check the headlines. This is when active users started to peak. What news did they wake up to?
A Blue Tsunami
One of the most closely watched elections in US history ended in what many are dubbing a Blue Tsunami. Texas elected a Democratic senator for the first time in 38 years; Kansas, for the first time in 94. In total, the Democrats flipped seven Senate seats and at least five governorships (pending Alaska’s race being called).
In light of this historic shake-up, we analyzed the highest-spending political advertisers in the United States from October 4th to November 2nd, the day before the midterms. Here’s what we found.
Who Spent the Most
Of the top twenty-five, 11 were right-leaning; 10 were on the left, and four were California ballot initiatives. Democratic groups (WinSenate and House Majority PAC) claimed the top two spending spots, while third place went to Congressional Leadership Fund, a conservative super PAC.
Green is a left-aligned group, orange is right-aligned, and grey is a ballot measure.
There were 10 individual candidates in the top 25 spenders list: 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans. One Republican out of this group — Byron Donalds, the now-Governor-elect of Florida — was able to win their race. Each of the six top-spending Democrats were elected as well.
Scrolling vs Watching: Where Each Party Spent
Political advertisers across parties diverged in which channels they poured budget into. While Linear TV held its own as a mainstay for both Democrats and Republicans, right-leaning advertisers bet bigger on these commercials — funneling nearly half (48%) of their ad dollars there, compared to the left’s 31%. On the other hand, Democrat-aligned groups controlled 78% of the 25 advertisers’ Instagram spend, 67% of Facebook spend, and 64% of dollars spent on YouTube.
The key insight? Left-leaning candidates turned more readily to social media platforms, while the right stuck to traditional broadcast and streaming channels. One party targeted citizens while they’re scrolling; the other while they’re watching. Right-wing ad dollars did dominate one social platform, comprising 97% of spend on X. Meanwhile, the left overtook Snapchat with 95% of spend.
The Issues Each Party Owned
But what were these ads about? Across the 500 top-spending political creatives we analyzed, the most commonly discussed issue was the economy, including taxes and cost of living. A full 38% of ads focused on this topic. Next on the list was healthcare, prescription drug pricing, and Medicare protections. Nearly one in five (18%) of ads touched on this, and it was largely used as a positive differentiator for Democrats. A little over one in ten creatives (12%) framed the midterms as a referendum on President Trump (whether positive or negative) and 10% focused on issues surrounding crime, safety, and police. While transgender issues were referenced in the most expensive campaign ad (an attack on Talarico), they only made up 5% of the total count.
Each party owned its own issues; the economy was the only real contested ground, and despite Republicans out-messaging Democrats on the topic 58/42, their spend wasn’t enough to win over voters in key battleground states. But the parties didn’t just speak to voters differently, they also reached them in different venues. Republicans bought TV time, while Democrats went after the feed. With 2028 already on the horizon, it’s a sure bet that political strategists across the spectrum will be studying this data, and making adjustments to their approach. When they do, Sensor Tower will be here to give you the latest.
