The top Senate GOP super PAC is laying down a massive $342 million ad buy in an aggressive push to help Republicans maintain control of the Senate, reserving airtime in eight battleground states in this year’s midterm elections.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a group with close ties to Majority Leader John Thune, announced the plan Monday. The group’s initial ad reservation stretches deep into Republican territory.
The super PAC committed $71 million in North Carolina, widely viewed as one of the most competitive seats of the year, in addition to the $42 million it previously allocated in January to help reelect Sen. Susan Collins in Maine.
The list also included GOP-held Senate seats in redder states in its spending list — Alaska, Iowa and Ohio — suggesting the major GOP super PAC is preparing for significant political headwinds in the midterms.
The list notably did not include Texas, where the SLF-backed Sen. John Cornyn is facing state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a primary runoff in May. National Republicans have feared that a Paxton candidacy could put the seat in play.
SLF is also spending on three-Democratic held seats, even while defending a broad battleground. SLF committed a collective $107 million in Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection, and the open blue seats in Michigan and New Hampshire.
“Senate Leadership Fund is better positioned than ever to execute an aggressive offensive strategy to protect and expand the Republican Senate Majority,” SLF executive director Alex Latcham said in a statement. “SLF’s historic investment will help elect strong Republican Senators across key battleground states and ensure that Chuck Schumer and his party remain in the minority.”
The group’s largest investment is in Ohio, with $79 million allocated to defending a seat previously held by Vice President JD Vance. Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) is looking to win election following his appointment as Vance’s replacement, and he will likely face former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost to now-Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024.
North Carolina is the second-largest target, where former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is facing off against Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper. Latcham told The New York Times, which first reported the ad reservations, that he expected North Carolina to be the most expensive race.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats need to net four seats in November to take control of the chamber, thanks to Vance’s tie-breaking vote.
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