The brutal 2026 attack ads even rivals had to respect
Top party strategists may hate seeing one of their candidates gutted by a brutal ad. But they can still admire the hit. Why it matters: A record $11.6 billion has plastered political ads across screens of every size in the country during the 2026 midterms . Only a handful of those earned the grudging respect of operatives on both sides. 📺 Zoom in: Multiple Republican strategists singled out the…
The brutal 2026 attack ads even caused rivals to show respect for each other. Record spending of $11.6 billion painted political ads across various platforms nationwide. Amidst this, only a select few garnered the begrudging admiration of operatives on both sides.
Republican strategists highlighted a series of ads targeting Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) for lawsuits against patients with overdue medical bills, some of whom faced arrests. Despite his team's advice, Marshall launched a self-directed ad in response.
In Nebraska, an ad showcasing former Gov. Pete Ricketts' vote to pardon a convicted rapist was deemed one of the cycle's most damaging. Ricketts is presumed to secure his Senate re-election. Maine witnessed a jingle highlighting Democratic nominee Troy Jackson's children with his second cousin, with the ad stating, "If he'll f**k his own family, he'll f**k yours too."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) demanded the ad be taken down. In Florida, Rep. María Salazar (R-Fla.) criticized President Trump over ICE's enforcement tactics, accusing some immigration policies of going too far.
The story also delved into the emerging realm of AI-generated attack ads. In Michigan, a Republican-aligned super PAC used AI imagery to depict Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a fabricated family photo and game, referencing "Death to America" and 9/11. In Texas, GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton's team employed AI to show Democratic candidate James Talarico defacing a Bible and claiming, "In the beginning God was non-binary, and he wasn't a Christian."
The attack ads triggered tensions, notably in the Michigan Senate race. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) withdrew support from El-Sayed after they publicly disagreed over the ad she deemed antisemitic. El-Sayed later disavowed the ad but claimed Stevens wasn't welcome at his events, leading her to endorse former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) instead.
Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy (R) faced backlash for an ad featuring Amy Acton (D), his opponent's estranged mother in Ohio gubernatorial race. The ad could potentially harm Ramaswamy's gubernatorial bid, impacting Sen. John Husted's (R) re-election prospects as well. Ramaswamy initially defended the ad but later withdrew it from airwaves.
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