Candidates in 4 Senate races raised over $15M in out-of-state digital ad buys

Candidates in four competitive U.S. Senate races spent more than $15 million on digital advertising tied to fundraising during the 2025-26 election cycle, according to an analysis of Google Ads covering races in Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas. About three quarters of that spending went to ads that ran nationally rather than in the candidate's own state.

The spending pattern reflects a shift in where campaigns look for money. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and Iowa Democratic nominee Josh Turek have each drawn more than 80% of their itemized individual contributions from outside their home states. ActBlue, which launched in 2004, and WinRed, launched in 2019, are the two platforms most often used to collect those contributions.

Zachary Albert, a professor of politics at Brandeis University, said the platforms changed the economics of small-dollar fundraising. "ActBlue and WinRed really reduced the transaction costs for contributing," Albert said. "Even if you're only yielding like a $5 or $10 contribution from someone like the costs of soliciting that are so much lower than they used to be, that it makes it worthwhile."

Candidates also adjust their messaging when the audience sits outside their state. Wesleyan Media Project's Michael Franz said party labels carry more weight in out-of-state digital advertising than in local television spots. Former Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is seeking a return to the Senate, runs ads calling for the state to go blue, while Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins asks donors to help turn his state's Senate seat red. Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson promotes her America First credentials, and Ossoff attacks President Trump directly in his Georgia advertising.

The Ossoff campaign, in a statement, denied targeting audiences by location and said the campaign "is powered by small-dollar donors because the Senator refuses donations from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists." The other campaigns declined to comment or did not respond to interview requests. Michael Heseltine, a researcher at Oxford University who studies how members of Congress use social media, said candidates are spending more time on national talking points even as local messaging continues. "[If] we continue on that trend, you'll probably find more and more members who have neglected their constituencies or at least not presented themselves as representatives of their constituencies," he said.

Daniel Hopkins, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania, described two audiences a campaign must serve at once. "When Jon Ossoff is trying to compete for votes, he's competing against Georgia Republicans," Hopkins said. "But when Jon Ossoff is trying to compete for dollars, he's competing for attention and for donations, ultimately with other prominent Democratic candidates."

Out-of-state contributions to congressional campaigns have risen each election cycle, according to OpenSecrets. Sarah Bryner, a director who studies campaign finance at Public Agenda, said donors in states that lean heavily toward one party often send money elsewhere. "People from California really don't feel like they have much to do because their state's going to go blue regardless," she said. "So they support candidates in states like Georgia or Texas." Democrats built ActBlue in 2004, nearly 15 years before Republicans launched WinRed in 2019.

Regulation of out-of-state fundraising remains limited. Hawaii will cap out-of-state donations starting in 2027. In June, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of coordinated campaign spending, allowing more out-of-state funds to be spent in elections. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has spent three times as much on advertising at this point as in the previous midterms. Sarah Bryner advises candidates against relying heavily on out-of-state money. "As much as money in politics is such a factor in America, voters are still ultimately who makes the final decision," Bryner said. "And if you're getting all your money from outside of the state, those people can't vote for you."