March 16, 2026

The 2026 midterms are shaping up to be a game changer for media buying. Campaigns and super PACs are pouring cash into smarter, more targeted ways to reach voters. Total political ad spending is projected to hit $10.8 billion, a more than 20% jump from 2022 and the priciest midterm ever. That surge comes from earlier buys, rising costs, and new tech that lets teams stretch every dollar further. But it’s not just volume, the channels and strategies are shifting fast toward precision and performance.

So, what are the newest trends in political media buying we’ll see this year?

Video Advertising Breaks Records with CTV
Video advertising leads the charge and will set a midterm record at around $11.2 billion. Linear TV still claims a big piece, but CTV is stealing the show as the fastest growing format. Expect $2.9 billion to be spent on CTV alone, up 16% from 2022. Overall, TV (including streaming) will grab 85% of video spend while mobile, desktop, and social drop to 15%. This marks a reversal from earlier cycles when digital platforms surged. The reason is simple: CTV blends the massive reach of traditional TV with digital style targeting so campaigns can hit specific households or neighborhoods without wasting impressions on unlikely voters.

Programmatic and AI Targeting
In 2024, programmatic already drove most CTV political ads, with 80% of that inventory bought automatically. For 2026 the trend accelerates because programmatic lets teams adjust bids in real time based on voter data, website visits, or even turnout models. AI tools now help optimize everything from ad placement to creative testing, cutting waste, and boosting performance. Campaigns no longer guess which swing voters to chase. They use data to find the roughly 22 million persuadable ones and deliver messages that actually move the needle. Early 2025 off-year races already showed CTV spend nearly doubling in key contests, proving the model works for down ballot races too.


Digital Platforms and the Rise of Influencer Partnerships
Digital platforms remain essential, even if their share of total video spend dips slightly in midterms. In the 2024 cycle alone, at least $1.9 billion flowed to major sites like Meta, Google, Snap, and X for online ads. Short form video on TikTok and YouTube continues to grow because it feels native and travels fast among younger voters. Yet the biggest digital story for 2026 might be the rise of influencer and creator partnerships. For the first time in 2025, creators earned more ad revenue than traditional media outlets. 59% of marketers plan to increase influencer budgets, and politics is catching on. Why? 86% of people buy or act based on recommendations from trusted voices, and 69% trust creators more than brand or candidate ads. Campaigns that treat influencers as partners, giving them access, talking points and fair pay, see real results in sign ups, shares, and turnout. It turns paid media into authentic conversations that traditional spots cannot match.

The Dominance of Top Media Buying Firms
Behind the scenes, a handful of media buying firms still control the flow. In 2024, the top five vendors alone handled $2.1 billion in placements for super PACs, candidates, and parties. Firms like Waterfront Strategies on the Democratic side and Del Ray Media on the Republican side managed hundreds of millions each, often from just a few giant PACs. This concentration will likely carry into 2026 as spending climbs. Campaigns rely on these experts to navigate fragmented markets and complex platforms, but it also means strategies can feel uniform across races. Smaller teams or new players may struggle to break in without similar scale.


Hyper-Local Targeting Made Easier with CTV
Local focus adds another layer. CTV makes hyper local buying easier and more scalable. Campaigns can target individual zip codes or even specific streaming households while rolling up national reach programmatically. Combined with first party data and privacy safe tools, this approach helps down ballot candidates compete without massive TV budgets.


What does all this mean for your next political campaign? Success in 2026 demands a mix of big video reach, data driven programmatic buys, creative influencer plays, and early planning. The old broadcast heavy playbook still works in places, but teams that lean into CTV, AI optimization, and authentic creator content will connect better with fragmented audiences. Voter attention is scarce and costs keep rising, so efficiency rules. Campaigns that test fast, measure ROI on every platform, and build real relationships beyond the ad buy will stand out. The money is bigger than ever, but the winners will be those who spend it smartest. Keep an eye on these trends… they are rewriting how politics gets its message across, one targeted impression at a time. 

Citations:

• AdImpact – AdImpact’s Political Projections Report 2025-2026
• OpenSecrets – Political ad spending is projected to reach a new high in 2026 midterms
• Campaigns & Elections – Video Ad Spending to Set Record for a Midterm Cycle in 2026
• OpenSecrets – Online Ad Spending in 2024 Election Totaled at Least $1.9 Billion
• Sprout Social – 29 influencer marketing statistics to guide your brand’s strategy in 2025
• OpenSecrets – The billion-dollar middlemen: How a handful of firms dominate political ad buying