Republicans Outspend Democrats on Immigration Ads for 2026 Midterms

The Republican Party has established immigration enforcement as a central pillar of its 2026 midterm campaign, spending approximately $53 million on nearly 300 ads across 27 states between January and June. According to data from AdImpact, this significantly outpaces the Democratic Party, which spent $17 million on 62 ads across 11 states. Republican messaging focuses on border security, crime, and specific legislative goals such as the SAVE America Act and the end of birthright citizenship.

Individual candidates have integrated immigration into broader economic and governance platforms. In Michigan, gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson pledged to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in removing illegal immigrants to eliminate government waste, while Iowa gubernatorial primary winner Zach Lahn ran ads vowing to ban H-1B visa holders from universities and government agencies. The National Republican Congressional Committee has linked these immigration themes to border security and economic concerns to mobilize the GOP base.

Democratic advertising has been more limited, appearing primarily in states with high enforcement levels such as California, New York, and Illinois. These ads generally emphasize pro-immigrant rhetoric or call for the abolition of ICE, a position supported by PAC advertising for Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. Conversely, some immigration-themed advertising has been used internally within the GOP, such as by the MAGA KY PAC to target Representative Thomas Massie.