The US midterm elections have been equal parts expensive and bitterly fought.
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elections → fight → ?
“Competitive races drive up the price tag of elections,” Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor in the University of Houston’s department of political science, told Newsweek.
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Rottinghaus → drive → Newsweek
For months, America has been inundated with political advertising funded by the world’s wealthiest person (Elon Musk), ordinary folk, and cashed-up PACs (political action committees, run by party headquarters or external groups, some of which do not disclose their donors).
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some → inundate → donors
Combined, these groups are expected to have spent a record $US11.6 billion ($16.5 billion) to influence these elections, which will determine whether the Democrats can neuter the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
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Democrats → combine → presidency
The Senate, where Democrats need to win four more seats for a majority, has attracted the biggest share of spending, about $US3.4 billion, according to AdImpact, which tracks ad spending.
uncertain
which → need → spending
While down in the polls, the Republicans are not out – the party has about $US700 million more cash than the Democrats, allowing it to outspend its rivals by $US200 million in the most competitive Senate races, according to Bloomberg.
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it → have → Bloomberg
So, which Senate fights have attracted the most money, and why?
Texas
Traditionally red Texas is tipped to become the most expensive Senate race in the country’s history, as Democrat James Talarico takes on the state’s controversial Attorney-General Ken Paxton.
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Talarico → attract → General
AdImpact said ads about the Texas stoush will add up to $US573 million, with Musk and PACs donating hundreds of millions to the Republican Paxton, while Talarico has raised $US134 million mostly from small donations (bigger donors include LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg).
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donors → say → Hoffman
Outspent by the Republicans and at war with the world’s wealthiest person, Talarico has described his political fight as “David vs Goliath”.
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Talarico → describe → Goliath
Ohio
Ohio is now a red state – former president Barack Obama won it in 2008 and 2012, and then Trump won in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
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Trump → win → 2016
This year’s Senate battle between Republican incumbent Jon Husted and former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown has also cost more than $US500 million, AdImpact said.
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AdImpact → cost → million
Democrats have clung to polls showing many Ohioans believe Brown is the incumbent and have tried to portray Husted as the face of (increasingly unpopular) data centres.
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Brown → cling → centres
Both Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, have rallied for Husted, with Trump even complimenting his bottom.
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Trump → rally → bottom
“I said his ass, it’s like a pile of muscle,” he said.
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he → say → muscle
Republicans see swing-state Michigan as an opportunity to pick up a seat – and are lapping up a conflict between Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and the woman he defeated in an August primary, Haley Stevens.
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he → see → primary
Stevens has vowed to vote for the Republican candidate Mike Rogers instead of El-Sayed after a controversial PAC ad portrayed Rogers as in thrall to Israeli interests.
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ad → vow → interests
El-Sayed’s team distanced itself from the ad, which critics said played up antisemitic tropes, and played down the stoush, pointing out that he had raised a record $US2.4 million in a single day.
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he → distance → day
Republicans have outspent Democrats in this bitter contest, yet were behind 42 per cent to 53 per cent in recent polling.
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Republicans → outspent → polling
El-Sayed told 60 Minutes his opponents had spent a “third of a billion dollars just to beat me in a campaign …
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opponents → tell → campaign
I don’t take money from corporations, I want to stand up to them.”
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I → take → them
Federal Election Commission data shows Iowa’s Democratic candidate Josh Turek has raised $US24 million, whilst his Republican rival Ashley Hinson has raised $US14 million.
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rival → show → million
Republicans have outspent their rivals in Maine, where long-time Senator Susan Collins faces Democrat candidate and logger Troy Jackson.
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Collins → outspent → Jackson
Read more on US politics:
- Referendum on Trump: How the midterm elections work.
- Cory Alpert:
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elections → read → Trump
Trump’s voters are now seeing the cost.
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voters → see → cost
- Bruce Wolpe: What Trump will do after the midterms – lose or lose.
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Trump → do → midterms
- ‘Despicable betrayal’: Democrats turn on each other in key race.
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Democrats → turn → race
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
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what → get → world
The Aporia
