National Democrats and Republicans are pressuring local TV stations to respond in opposite ways to a new federal court ruling on political ad rates, Axios has learned. Why it matters: How they respond will have a major impact on the fight for control of Congress by deciding which party's ad money goes further in the final stretch of the 2026 midterms . - The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals this week overturned an FCC rule extending discounted ad rates for individual congressional campaigns to political parties and super PACs. - In other words: The court ruled that outside groups still have to fork over multiple times what the actual candidates pay to run political ads. - Democrats tend to do their strongest fundraising at the candidate…
A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday could erase a new midterm advantage for Republicans. Why it matters: The 2-1 ruling would block Republicans from using cash-rich party committees to buy more political TV ads at discounted rates. - Republicans plan to appeal the decision, setting up another high-stakes campaign finance fight as the fall ad wars heat up ahead of November. Driving the news: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled the FCC was wrong to extend discounted candidate broadcast rates to political parties and joint fundraising committees that include non-candidate groups for ads they coordinate with candidates. - The rates paid by super PACs and other outside groups are often several times higher than…
Republicans boosted spending in red states ahead of the November midterms, signaling the GOP is worried about its chances of retaining the Senate majority. The Nation, a conservative nonprofit aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is reserving $28 million in television advertising in Ohio and $11 million in Iowa, Axios first reported . The ads will begin airing Wednesday and continue throughout the summer. Not long ago, Ohio and Iowa did not appear to need outside help particularly since President Donald Trump won both states by double digits. One Nation executive director Alex Latcham told Thune and top GOP donors during a June 1 meeting that the party needed to prioritize investments in Ohio, Iowa, Maine and North Carolina.…Open
Chuck Schumer's headaches may only just be getting started after the Senate minority leader's handpicked candidate to take down Sen. Susan Collins was forced to drop out early in Maine's Democratic primary. Why it matters: Progressive candidates are mounting serious, well-funded campaigns against more traditional Democrats in Senate primaries across the country. - Moderate Democrats are worried that progressive candidates, especially those with baggage , will hurt their chances of flipping key Senate seats if nominated. - Progressives argue that party leaders are relying on an outdated, cookie-cutter formula to determine who is "electable." - After oyster farmer Graham Platner became the Democrats' presumptive Senate nominee in…
POLITICO, self-described as the “leading destination for non-partisan news and unbiased policy coverage,” is paying for services from Invariant, founded by Democrat mega-donor Heather Podesta. The post Lobbying Firm With Democrat Donor Ties is Client of ‘Non-Partisan’ POLITICO. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: POLITICO has been utilizing the services of Invariant, a lobbying firm led by Democrat mega-donor Heather Podesta, who has contributed over $250,000 to Democrat candidates and committees this year. WHO WAS INVOLVED: POLITICO, Heather Podesta, Invariant, and Evan Hollander, a veteran Democrat operative now serving as POLITICO’s senior vice president of communications. WHEN & WHERE: POLITICO admitted that Invariant was a client in its Influence newsletter in February. IMPACT: Invariant’s ties to POLITICO raise questions about its claims of objectivity. IN FULL POLITICO , self-described as the “leading destination for non-partisan news and unbiased policy coverage,” is paying for services from…Open