House Majority PAC reserved $272 million for TV and digital ads to help Democrats regain House control in November midterms.
WASHINGTON -- The main outside group supporting Democrats' efforts to regain control of the House is reserving $272 million in television and digital advertising ahead of the November midterm elections, with most of the money targeting seats currently held by Republicans.
The House Majority PAC outlined its plans Thursday to spend substantially in media markets from Miami to Phoenix to Philadelphia, where the most competitive races will determine whether President Trump keeps his Republican majority. Democrats are attempting to seize upon Trump's slumping job approval ratings and public dissatisfaction over inflation and the economy.
The ad spending plan offers a road map to Democrats' strategy for retaking the House and their top targets six months before the midterms -- along with spending plans in areas that typically lean Republican. The super PAC isn't legally allowed to coordinate with the House Democrats' campaign arm, but both entities are expected to focus on roughly three dozen districts with the aim of expanding the map in the event that voters provide a sweeping rebuke of GOP lawmakers.
"With Trump's numbers down wildly across the board, in particularly on the economy and cost of living, it has given us an opportunity to go deeper and communicate with voters that traditionally voted Republican or haven't voted at all, that are willing to take a chance on Democrats," said Mike Smith, president of House Majority PAC.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC tied to House Republican leadership, hasn't yet specified its advertising targets.
Trump and congressional Republicans are trying to maintain their narrow House majority, with the current balance at 217 Republicans and 212 Democrats, and one GOP-aligned independent.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates 16 seats as tossups, with 13 held by Republicans and three by Democrats, indicating they could break either way. Another 16 seats are viewed as competitive, with 12 seats leaning in the direction of Democrats and four leaning toward Republicans.
Most of the ad reservations -- nearly 80% -- are focused on GOP-held seats, reflecting a more optimistic outlook from the committee, which reserved about half of its advertising in 2024 to protect Democratic-aligned seats. The television and digital reservations in 68 media markets represent a nearly 50% increase in the group's 2024 reservations of $186 million.
Some of this year's reservations include:
The ad reservations also show where Democrats intend to play defense. The committee has reserved more than $8 million in three Maine media markets in support of an open seat held by retiring Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, one of the biggest swing districts in the nation. The committee is also earmarking another $8 million in advertising around a district held by Rep. Don Davis, a North Carolina Democrat.
Super PACs typically reserve advertising early in the campaign cycle to lock in the lowest rates. The reservations don't include the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, which Smith said would be made later because the rates in the nation's most expensive media market don't typically change.