Politics

Record Midterm Spending: Republicans Outspend Democrats Yet Lose Seven Seats

By Shivanghi Payal

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections saw unprecedented campaign spending, with Republicans spending 60% more than Democrats but still losing seven stronghold seats. The results reflected growing opposition to data‑centre projects and a shift in Latino voters’ support toward Democrats. Both chambers of Congress were won by Democrats, even though Republicans spent significantly more on Senate races.

According to the nonpartisan watchdog group OpenSecrets, the 2026 midterm elections are expected to be the most expensive in U.S. history. Reuters reported that outside groups and independent committees spent at least $2 billion on Senate races, separate from money spent directly by candidates. Texas was a major spending battleground. Elon Musk and other wealthy Republicans spent $316 million to support state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who struggled to raise money for his campaign. Democratic groups spent $109 million backing James Talarico, whose campaign raised more than $146 million directly.

Ohio and Michigan also saw spending run into hundreds of millions of dollars, with the amount swelling as Election Day approached. Political groups shifted spending as candidate prospects changed: spending in Georgia and North Carolina fell as Republican candidates lost ground, while more money went into South Carolina, Mississippi and Kansas as competitive races emerged in states previously considered safe for Republicans. Outside groups were able to move their spending quickly between states as the election picture changed.

Voter opposition to data‑centre projects also grew. Voters in 10 states backed restrictions on data‑centre development or rejected plans to build such facilities in their neighbourhoods. Tracking by Redbud Consulting showed that 40 of the 41 ballot measures restricted the setting up of data centres. In most counties where these measures were put to a vote, voters also shifted strongly toward Democrats. The election results were followed by a fall in shares of companies linked to artificial intelligence and data centres, as stocks declined in the days after the polls amid expectations of tighter oversight under a Democrat‑led Congress.

A record number of Latino voters shifted toward Democrats, many of whom moved back after helping Republicans gain ground in recent elections. The shift was seen across different parts of the country, from Texas border counties and meatpacking towns in southwest Kansas to Miami‑Dade, Colorado and Arizona. A record 14.5 million Latinos voted, according to Janet Murguía, CEO of UnidosUS, the largest U.S. Latino civil‑rights organization. “Latino voters sent a clear message about their anger and concern about the direction of our country,” she said.

The change in Latino voting patterns was part of a larger shift among voters from different racial backgrounds. This broader coalition helped Democrats return to power and win both chambers of Congress, with victories across the country.

In majority‑Latino counties, the shift toward Democrats was clear. Across 64 majority‑Latino counties with Senate races where most votes had been counted, Republicans lost 14 percentage points from their 2024 vote share, according to Reuters. The drop was larger than the national trend. In Hidalgo County, Texas, Republican support fell by around 25 percentage points. In Miami‑Dade, Florida, a county Trump won in 2024, it dropped by 10 percentage points. These figures show the scale of the shift in Latino voting patterns across key parts of the country.