Political ad spending in Ohio is soaring to record levels, a new report shows, as tight Senate and governor races become some of the most competitive in the country ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Ohio is one of the biggest political advertising battlegrounds of the 2026 cycle, according to AdImpact’s 2026 Political Ad Spending Report. The increase in spending is due in part to a competitive U.S. Senate race, a tighter-than-expected governor’s race and heavy outside-group spending.
Here’s how that spending breaks down.
Ohio ad spending projected at $749 million, among highest in U.S.
Ohio saw the largest increase in spending from the report’s initial projection, rising from $440 million to $749 million (a 70% increase), making it the fourth-most expensive state in the cycle.
The increase is largely impacted by the competitive U.S. Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted, as well as the governor’s race between Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
Governor race projected at $172 million
AdImpact projects Ohio’s gubernatorial race will generate $172 million in political advertising, making it the fourth-most expensive governor’s race in the country this cycle. The race’s shift from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican” added more than $100 million in projected spending.
Ohio Senate race shifts to toss-up as spending ramps up
The Senate race has also become more competitive.
AdImpact moved the race from “Lean Republican” to “Toss-up” status. Outside groups are already reserving significant fall advertising, including $54 million from the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, the largest amount it has booked in any state, and $32 million from the Democratic-aligned WinSenate.
Ohio is one of several states reshaped by mid-decade redistricting, which has reduced projected House spending nationally, according to AdImpact. The report also projects about $10 million in state legislative advertising spending in Ohio during the 2026 cycle.
How Ohio spending projections were calculated
AdImpact builds its forecasts race by race, using factors such as historical ad spending, campaign fundraising, media market costs and race competitiveness, based on Cook Political Report ratings. It then rolls those individual projections into state and national estimates, drawing on a database that includes more than $45 billion in political ad spending across 28,000 elections and 37 million ad airings.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio to see $749 million in political ad spending in midterm elections
Reporting by Alex Perry, USA TODAY NETWORK / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alex Perry, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
