Political advertising has continually soared in recent years. That’s true during the 2026 midterm elections, with the help of the California governor’s race, according to AdImpact.
What We Know: The California governor’s race has continued to balloon in spending. In fact, according to AdImpact, the race is now the fifth-highest spending non-presidential election on record. The only races surpassing it are Senate races in Ohio (2024), Georgia (2020, 2022), and Pennsylvania (2024).
What the Numbers Show:
| State | Total | Democrats | Republicans |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $315.8 Million | $311.3 Million | $4.5 Million |
| Market | Spending |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $132.7 Million |
| San Francisco | $53.9 Million |
| Sacramento | $36.8 Million |
| San Diego | $23.8 Million |
What Remains Unclear: How the spending levels will change following Tuesday’s primary election. The field will narrow considerably. However, that doesn’t mean that the political advertising levels will decrease considerably. Tom Steyer has spent the considerable bulk of the political advertising. Of the $315.8 million spent, his campaign has purchased $201.4 million. An additional $31.6 million has been spent on opposition ads specifically targeted against Steyer.
What It Means: Media entities in California should be rooting for Steyer to remain in the race following Tuesday’s primary. With the advertising glut from his campaign, the race could continue to climb the all-time rankings.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
