Scoop: NRCC goes all in on coordinated spending
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House Speaker Mike Johnson and National Republican Congressional Committee chair Richard Hudson at the NRCC's annual fundraising dinner in March. Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
House Republicans are seizing on the Supreme Court's decision that freed national party committees to coordinate directly with candidates, reserving nearly $9 million in TV ads across more than 20 races this month, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Call it the National Republican Coordinating Committee.
- The NRCC is moving quickly to exploit its cash advantage over the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and bolster GOP candidates, many of whom have been outraised by their Democratic opponents.
- The committee (actual name: National Republican Congressional Committee) ended July with $92.4 million in the bank, roughly $12 million more than the DCCC.
- The Supreme Court ruled in June that national party committees can spend unlimited amounts in coordination with their candidates, giving cash-rich party committees a powerful new tool heading into the November midterms.
Driving the news: The NRCC's coordinated ad buys in the more than 20 races are largely focused on shoring up Republican incumbents and defeating Democrats who represent districts Trump won in 2024.
- The committee has reserved some $8.7 million in TV, according to AdImpact.
"Doing the right thing in Washington isn't easy, but that's the job. I took on insurance and drug companies to cut prescription drug prices, worked across the aisle to lower healthcare costs, and backed a ban on members of Congress from trading stocks," Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) says in one of the ads.
- At the bottom is a white-stenciled disclaimer that underscores what's changed: "Paid for by NRCC and authorized by Jeff Hurd. Approved by Jeff Hurd."
- The DCCC hasn't made any coordinated general-election reservations yet, according to AdImpact.
What we're watching: A separate legal fight could determine just how far Republicans can stretch their national spending advantage.
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled last week that the Federal Communications Commission erred in allowing national party committees to receive the same discounted television rates as candidates.
- Republicans have asked the Supreme Court to stay or vacate the ruling before Friday, when the 60-day lowest-unit-rate window begins.
The other side: Democrats have also experimented with unlimited coordinated spending, but only in a trio of primaries, losing all three.
- In the process, the committee infuriated some House Democrats who objected to the party using hard dollars to pick sides in Democratic primaries.
What they're saying: "Democrats blew through millions trying to rig their primaries for handpicked candidates and still watched socialist challengers send them packing. Meanwhile, the NRCC stayed focused on November, built a historic financial advantage, and is already translating it into over 20 coordinated ads across the battlefield," NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said.
- "While Republicans continue to attempt to rig the election in their favor by fruitlessly challenging what is now the law of the land, Democrats have deliberately invested early in digital and mail communications in order to maximize our dollars across an incredibly expansive battlefield, before going up on TV in coordination with candidates in the final two months of the election," DCCC spokesperson Courtney Rice said in a statement.
The bottom line: The NRCC's aggressive posture amounts to a decision to start spending now, even as the courts decide whether its money will go as far as Republicans had hoped.
