The 2026 elections are likely to break spending records, with more money than ever coming from the wealthiest donors. In race after race, the biggest megadonors are spending tens of millions of dollars through super PACs to boost candidates likely to favor specific ideologies or special interests, dwarfing spending by small donors in those races.
Certain wealthy industries, especially those related to technology or finance, are dominating the largest election spending. Corporations and their CEOs funnel tens of millions into electing their favored candidates while seeking government policies that will help their bottom lines. At the same time, Americans are increasingly concerned about corruption. Across party lines, supermajorities see big spending on elections as a corruption problem.
In addition, “dark money” from undisclosed sources continues to increase and is becoming even harder to track. Many groups spending large amounts to influence elections withhold the identities of their donors and increasingly funnel their spending through other entities to further mask its sources.
