GOP Dumps $100M on Red States They Swore Had It Locked Down
KEY POINTS
- â˘Republicans, worried by polls, plan heavy campaign spending in Ohio and Iowa to defend Senate seats.
- â˘One Nation and Senate Majority Leader John Thuneâs groups reserved $39 million in TV ads starting this summer.
- â˘Democrats face their own hurdles, including controversies in Maine and retirements in New Hampshire, complicating their chances.
In a plot twist slicker than a budget conspiracy doc, Republicans are shoveling a whopping $100 million into Senate races in supposedly 'safe' red states like Ohio and Iowa. One Nation, Senate Majority Leader John Thune's politically ambitious nonprofit, is reserving $28 million in Ohio and $11 million in Iowa TV ads, because apparently winning by double digits in 2024 was just a warm-up. GOP candidate Jon Husted is barely keeping pace against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, whoâs raised double the cash while Rep. Ashley Hinson fights off voter grumbles about Trump's tariffs, which even Iowa farmers seem to regret. Meanwhile, Maineâs all the drama with accused-but-denying Graham Platner threatening Democrat dreams, while New Hampshire eyes a Senate face-off between retiring Dem Jeanne Shaheenâs placeholder Chris Pappas and ex-Republican Sen. John Sununu. For context, the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, allied with One Nation, plans a $400 million spending blitz â basically the political equivalent of dropping a senior prom limo onto Red Wall anxieties. As One Nation says, âmeaningful results for working families,â or as the Dems clap back, 'Republicans finally realize their Senate is shakier than a Jenga tower in an earthquake.'
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(1 of 3)Republicans treating Ohio and Iowa like Tinder bios that once got matches but suddenly need a desperate refresh with $28 million and $11 million in TV ads. Spoiler: money canât buy loveâor a Senate seat.
Saving red states with hundreds of millions in ads feels like hiring a personal trainer after eating a cake the size of Iowa.
If raising $400M is the GOPâs gym membership fee, maybe they shouldâve started working out before 2024 ended bad.
Source: Axios | Published: 7/8/2026 | Author: Alex Isenstadt
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