Koch network to spend $300-400 million on 2018 midterms

The Koch network will spend 60% more on the 2018 cycle than it did on the 2016 presidential election, the largest midterm investment it's ever had, Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity told reporters Saturday. This includes up to $20 million on “communicating the benefits of tax reform," along with other policy and politics efforts. The network spent about $250 million on policy and politics in the 2016 cycle.

Why this matters: Midterm elections are typically very difficult for the party in power, even without the scandals that have occurred under the Trump administration. The network sees the regulatory and legislative victories of the administration as hugely important and are going all-out to protect them.