AILSA CHANG, HOST:
The 2026 midterms are now the most expensive election in U.S. history, with nearly $12 billion spent on political ads.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Trusted by Trump, Cindy Hyde-Smith is 100% MAGA.
CINDY HYDE-SMITH: You have so many proteins to choose from.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Pick another protein? [Expletive]. I'd rather pick another senator instead.
BILL GREEN: We're not talking about buying a cord of wood here. We're sending someone to the U.S. Senate.
TROY JACKSON: ...And the wealthy friends think I'm good enough to buy a cord of firewood from, but I'm not good enough to be the next U.S. Senator.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
That record sum, again, nearly $12 billion with a B. That is according to AdImpact, with whom we partner to track ads. It's even more than the cost of the 2024 presidential election. And this comes at a time when the biggest concern on many voters' minds is the cost of living.
CHANG: And a lot of those ad dollars are pouring into U.S. Senate races, including the most expensive race in the country this election season, the one in Texas.
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ALAN STEELMAN: I'm a Republican...
BENNETT RATLIFF: And I'm passing on Ken Paxton.
RUSSELL THOMAS: And I'm passing...
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Radical liberal James Talarico for they/them, not you.
CHANG: The face-off between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton has cost more than $600 million, with Republicans spending far more than Democrats. Actually, Republicans have outspent Democrats in all the key Senate races except Michigan.
KELLY: Now, Republicans have also spent big on ads about immigration.
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MARSHA BLACKBURN: My plan is simple. They can't stay, and they've got to pay.
KELLY: Whereas Democrats have been a little more focused on healthcare.
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ABDUL EL-SAYED: Money in your pocket and Medicare for all.
JOHN MANNION: I'm working to ban insurance companies from denying the care your doctor prescribes. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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