Open congressional seats in Oklahoma, Florida and New York are at the top of the ad-spending rankings when it comes to the seats up for grabs during Tuesday's primaries across three states.
Here's a look at the races drawing the most ad spending since the start of 2022, per AdImpact, of those on the ballot Tuesday:
Oklahoma-02
This seat is open because of Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin's Senate bid. The seat leans heavily Republican, so the big show on the airwaves is the GOP primary (and primary runoff) between former state Sen. Josh Brecheen and state Rep. Avery Frix, who emerged atop of a crowded field in the June primary.
Brecheen has gotten a a boost from the School Freedom Fund, which has spent almost $3 million since the start of the year, a mix of negative spots but also positive spots featuring the likes of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who backs Brecheen. Fund for a Working Congress has spent more than $1.4 million, however, attacking him for his previous support of electing the president by popular vote (a vote he's since said he regrets).
Florida-13
This St. Petersburg-area district is open due to Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist's gubernatorial bid. And like the 7th District, a GOP-friendly map here thanks to redistricting, there's a big-money scramble on the right.
The biggest spender is the Club for Growth Action, which is backing Republican activist Anna Paulina Luna and plans to spend more than $1.5 million through primary day. The Club is attacking her top rival, attorney Kevin Hayslett, with an ad that says he's "guilty of aiding and abetting the Democrats."
A group called Stand with Florida is responding with an attack on Paulina Luna, calling her "an Obama loving, pro-amnesty RINO." It's spent virtually the same on ads as the Club has.
And the third-highest spender comes from the left, a group backing Democrat Eric Lynn.
New York-10
This Democratic primary is packed with viable candidates. But when looking at the ad-spending landscape through Tuesday, you wouldn't know it.
That's because the majority of the spending ($3.5 million out of the $5.1 million booked and spent through Tuesday) comes from one candidate, former impeachment counsel (and former MSNBC contributor) Daniel Goldman. Rep. Mondaire Jones' campaign is spending another $1.4 million, and Nuestro PAC, a group backing NYC Councilmember Carlina Rivera, says it will spend $500,000 on ads in the race's final days.
New York-19
Gov. Kathy Hochul's gain was House Democrats' loss, as former Rep. Antonio Delgado's departure to join Hochul as her lieutenant governor created this open-seat special election.
Two county executives, Democrat Pat Ryan and Republican Marc Molinaro, are facing off to replace him in a special election that’s viewed as a test of each party’s strategy ahead of the midterms.
Ryan and Democratic groups have focused largely on abortion rights in their campaign messaging, while Molinaro and his GOP allies have focused on inflation and crime.
Republicans (the National Republican Congressional Committee, Molinaro and the Congressional Leadership Fund) have outspent the Democratic side (Ryan, VoteVets and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) $2.2 million to $1.2 million.
Florida-07
This seat is open thanks to Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s retirement, and the district’s competitive tilt has prompted big spending, particularly on the right.
Much of the spending in this seat actually came last year, when Republicans were trying to bully Murphy into retirement. Since she announced she wouldn’t be running, virtually all the ad spending has come from the right.
The top spenders have been Army veteran Cory Mills, former Orange County Commissioner Ted Edwards, state Rep. Anthony Sabatini and Navy Veteran Brady Duke, with a group attacking Sabatini spending more than any other group this year.
