Both parties embrace Supreme Court spending limit ruling in midterm home stretch 

Both parties are embracing the Supreme Court’s summer ruling that allows parties to coordinate and spend unlimited amounts of money with campaigns as marquee midterm races head into the home stretch. 

The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm is spending more than $45 million in coordinated expenditures with candidates, according to a campaign report filed Sunday.  

The group is coordinating spending efforts with Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and Darline Graham (S.C.) as well as a suite of GOP Senate candidates, including Rep. Mike Collins (Ga.), Rep. Ashley Hinson (Iowa), former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, Michael Whatley in North Carolina and former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire.  

Meanwhile, the House Democrats’ campaign arm announced Monday that it would spend close to $8 million in coordinated expenditures in 26 battleground districts.  

The group notes it has now coordinated spending on advertising for three weeks so far this general election cycle.

The Supreme Court ruled in June that political parties could coordinate fundraising and spending unlimited amounts of money with campaigns, saying that imposing federal limits was unconstitutional.  

The ruling offered a massive win for Republicans who boast a fundraising edge across different party committees over their Democratic counterparts.  

But the ruling was particularly beneficial for the GOP because the party typically fundraises through super PACS, which are required to pay a higher rate for TV advertising. The decision has encouraged GOP donors to give to party committees instead, where coordinated buys will be much cheaper than those initiated by independent expenditure groups.  

Still, the ruling also helps Democrats as coordinated campaign fundraising and spending can ease some of their money woes via cheaper ad rates.