2026 Midterm Campaign Communications: What Is Working

Midterm campaign communications in 2026 rely on connected TV, paid creators and AI-generated video, and the last two carry the most disclosure risk. AdImpact projects $11.6 billion in political ad spending for the cycle, above the $11.2 billion spent in the 2024 presidential year (as reported by The Desk on August 26, 2026). As of ABC News's July 23, 2026 report, no federal law requires influencers to disclose campaign payments.

Teams that treat these channels as ordinary ad buys risk spending record budgets on the wrong voters or inheriting a disclosure complaint. The sections below cover where the money is going, what the creator and AI data show, and what to do before Election Day on November 3.

How much is the 2026 midterm cycle spending on political ads?

AdImpact projects $11.6 billion in political advertising for the 2026 cycle, which would exceed the $11.2 billion spent in the 2024 presidential year. By August 26, 2026, the ad tracker had counted $6.1 billion in spending, according to The Desk. PPC Land reported in October 2026 that the midterm cycle now outspends the 2024 presidential race by roughly $400 million.

Podcast spend is growing from a smaller base. Brian Conlan, president of DAX US, told Digiday that political podcast ad spend is up 42% year over year, as relayed by PPC Land.

Why are campaigns buying connected TV and podcasts?

Campaigns are buying connected TV and podcasts because a large share of engaged voters avoid traditional news. Nexxen, an ad-tech vendor, reported that 40% of Americans avoid news yet stay politically engaged, and that 41% of those news-avoiding voters say creators influence their opinions. The figures come from a vendor report, so treat them as directional.

Why it works: A connected TV or podcast buy reaches a voter inside content the voter already chose to watch or hear, so no news habit is required. AdImpact's John Link said connected TV lets campaigns use their own first-party data for targeting (as reported by The Current on September 15, 2025). That allows a campaign to match an ad flight against its voter file.

Buy connected TV and podcast inventory against the voters your news-based buys miss, and check each flight against your own voter list before the final two weeks.

Are paid creator programs working, and what do they risk?

Paid creator programs are now standard party infrastructure, and disclosure rules have not caught up. ABC News reported on July 23, 2026 that the Democratic National Committee's Influencer and Creative program partners with more than 500 creators. The Yes on 50 campaign in California reported, in its own Shorty Awards entry, that 16 creators with a combined 42.5 million followers joined its final Los Angeles rally and that the measure passed with 64%. Those figures come from the campaign, not an independent audit.

The legal exposure is real. ABC News reported that California's Fair Political Practices Commission opened an investigation into Tom Steyer's gubernatorial campaign under a 2023 state law requiring online influencers to disclose when they are paid to support a candidate. Steyer wrote on Substack in May that his campaign paid influencers for time spent working on the campaign, not for endorsements. In October 2025, the Campaign Legal Center petitioned the Federal Election Commission for a rule requiring paid-for-by disclaimers on influencer political ads.

Creators also bring their own risk. Public Affairs Networking reported that some of the heated moments in the Texas Senate Democratic primary between James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett started in online commentary rather than campaign messaging. The People1st newsletter argued in a June 29 update that large political creators often lean toward the extremes and that smaller, local creators can be the better fit.

Why it works: A creator's audience follows the person, so a creator post carries trust that a campaign ad does not. An undisclosed payment spends that trust and creates a complaint, as the California investigation of the Steyer campaign shows (ABC News, July 23, 2026).

Put the payment disclosure in the sponsored post itself and in the creator contract, and brief creators on messages instead of scripting every line. For the full record of what has and has not worked online, read the 25 political digital campaigns.

Is AI-generated video helping campaigns or exposing them?

AI-generated political video is routine in the 2026 cycle, and the ads carry disclosure and backlash risk. NPR reported on September 16, 2026 that a tracking group had counted at least 164 political ads nationwide produced or enhanced by AI so far this year. Axios reported on June 16, 2026 that both parties use the tools. In Georgia, gubernatorial candidate Brad Raffensperger used AI to depict primary opponents firing guns in the air, and rival Burt Jones ran an ad that was entirely AI-generated. In Texas, Crockett used AI to inflate the crowd in one of her ads.

The Washington Examiner reported on June 20, 2026 that the Republican PAC Citizens for Sanity paid six figures for an ad campaign built on a deepfake of Talarico. Reuters reported that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has also used deepfake videos to mock President Trump. Political strategists told Reuters the ads appear effective and are cheap enough that down-ballot candidates and local groups use them.

Why it works: A generated clip costs far less than a shoot, so a campaign can test many versions and publish them quickly. The same low cost applies to opponents, so every campaign should plan for a fabricated clip of its own candidate.

Rules are a patchwork. Public Citizen's Ilana Beller told Reuters that 28 states have passed laws on AI in political ads, mostly requiring disclosure, and that many apply only to campaigns and not to social media users. The Washington Examiner, citing Axios, reported that Democrats plan to pursue legislation restricting AI in ads if they win big in November.

What should communications teams do before November 3?

Communications teams should spend the final weeks on four checks, each tied to a documented risk:

1. Match each channel to a voter group your current buys miss, and verify connected TV and podcast flights against your voter file.
2. Write creator payment disclosure into every contract and every sponsored post, because no federal rule requires it and California's 2023 law is the basis of an open investigation.
3. Label every AI-generated asset on screen and keep a source file for it, because the 28 state laws on AI in political ads differ.
4. Name a spokesperson and write a response plan for a fabricated clip of your own candidate. The four-skills framework for press secretaries and the analysis of what happened to the political spokesperson set out the role.

The evidence supports one order of operations: clear disclosure first, then move budget to the channels that reach news-avoiding voters. Campaigns that skip the first step expose the second to a complaint. For the discipline behind these decisions, see the public affairs and political communications pillar, the cases in political PR done poorly, and the ranking of top public affairs and political PR firms.

Midterm campaign communications FAQ

How much will 2026 midterm political advertising cost?

AdImpact projects $11.6 billion in political advertising for the 2026 midterm cycle, above the $11.2 billion spent in the 2024 presidential year, as reported by The Desk on August 26, 2026.

Do campaigns have to disclose paid influencers?

As of ABC News's July 23, 2026 report, no federal law requires influencers to disclose payments from a campaign. California has a 2023 law requiring online influencers to disclose when they are paid to support a candidate, and its Fair Political Practices Commission has opened an investigation under it. Check state law before paying creators.

Are AI-generated political ads legal?

Public Citizen's Ilana Beller told Reuters that 28 states have passed laws on AI in political ads, and most focus on disclosure rather than bans. The laws differ by state, so confirm the rules in each state where an ad runs.