More than 40 third-party candidates in pivotal House and Senate races are receiving support from outside super PACs, many with ties to the two major parties. The groups' spending totals more than $16.5 million, far more than virtually any of the candidates have raised or spent on their own, according to an Axios analysis of Federal Election Commission data.
The top spenders include Buckeye Freedom PAC and Alaska Values PAC, which have reported spending more than $3.8 million and disclosed spending $3.8 million in Senate races in Ohio and Alaska, respectively. In Ohio, Buckeye Freedom PAC has supported Libertarian Bill Redpath while opposing Republican Sen. John Husted, who is in a tight race with Democrat Sherrod Brown. In Alaska, Alaska Values PAC has backed Gerald Heikes, a self-identified Republican on the ranked-choice ballot alongside Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola.
The Alaska race has drawn scrutiny after the New York Times reported that Heikes and another self-proclaimed Republican on the ballot, Dan J. Sullivan, were recruited into the race. Republicans have accused Dan J. Sullivan of being a spoiler meant to siphon votes from the incumbent by confusing voters over their shared name. The Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied recruiting any third-party candidates.
Other groups include Enough Promises Ohio, which has spent $2.6 million supporting independent Greg Levy, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Levy has disavowed the support. The group's filings show it shares vendors with Republican candidates and groups including MAGA Inc. Principled Patriots PAC has reported spending over $600,000 on digital ads supporting right-leaning and Libertarian candidates in 15 battleground House and Senate races; filings show its ad vendor, Movement Labs LLC, has primarily served Democratic clients.
Progressive Champions PAC, previously used by Republicans to boost preferred Democratic primary candidates, has resurfaced in general elections, backing independent Matthew Baker in Virginia's 2nd District and Green Party candidate Shafina Barnett in Michigan's 4th District. Baker told the New York Times a mailer from the group makes him “mad as hell” because the group is “only telling half my story” and “trying to use me to trick people.”
Our Heritage Matters has reported spending nearly $3.7 million to support third-party candidates, mostly Libertarians, in more than two dozen races, advertising them as conservative alternatives to Republicans. The House Democratic campaign arm has posted messaging guidance on its website for boosting third-party candidates in several key races.
More than half of the 43 candidates backed by these groups have filed no financial paperwork with the FEC.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The spending, though modest nationally, could tip races decided by razor-thin margins and determine control of Congress.
- Voters may be misled by ads that obscure candidates' true affiliations or by candidates with no campaign infrastructure of their own.
- The practice raises questions about campaign finance transparency, as many super PACs formed this month will not disclose donors until after Election Day.
Background
Axios reports that in the 2026 midterm elections, outside groups with ties to both parties are funding third-party candidates as spoilers in competitive districts. Super PACs formed in October 2026 will not need to disclose their donors until after the election. The "double-Dan" case in Alaska involves alleged direct recruitment of a candidate by an operative working with a Democratic campaign, which the campaign denies.
Key Perspectives
- Republican-aligned groups: Buckeye Freedom PAC and Enough Promises Ohio, which share vendors with Republican campaigns, are boosting third-party candidates to split the vote on the right.
- Democratic-aligned groups: Principled Patriots PAC and Progressive Champions PAC, with Democratic vendor ties, are supporting third-party candidates to draw votes from Republicans.
- Candidates: Mark Hackett (Constitution Party) said he "spent no money and asked for no help" and "still don't know who they are"; Matthew Baker (independent) said a mailer makes him "mad as hell" because it misrepresents him; Greg Levy (independent) disavowed the support from Enough Promises Ohio.
- Peltola campaign and DSCC: They have denied recruiting any third-party candidates into the Alaska race.
What to Watch
- Whether any of the groups' donors are revealed after the election.
- The impact of third-party candidates in Ohio, Alaska, Nebraska and Virginia on the final results.
- Potential legal or regulatory responses to the alleged coordination in Alaska.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedSuper PACs have spent more than $16.5 million backing third-party candidates in pivotal races.Axios: “The sums being thrown around, which total more than $16.5 million”
- SupportedMany of the outside super PACs supporting third-party candidates have ties to the two major parties.Axios: “More than 40 third-party candidates in pivotal House and Senate races across the country are receiving support from outside super PACs, many of which have ties to the two major parties”
- SupportedMany pop-up super PACs formed this month will not have to disclose donors until after Election Day.Axios: “like many of the other "pop-up" super PACs in this story, were formed this month and therefore won't have to disclose their donors until after Election Day.”
- SupportedMore than 40 third-party candidates in pivotal House and Senate races are receiving support from outside super PACs.Axios: “More than 40 third-party candidates in pivotal House and Senate races across the country are receiving support from outside super PACs”
- SupportedThe spending is far greater than virtually any of the candidates have raised or spent on their own.Axios: “The sums being thrown around, which total more than $16.5 million, are far greater than virtually any of those candidates have raised or spent on their own.”
- SupportedThe spending figures come from an Axios analysis of Federal Election Commission data.Axios: “More than 40 third-party candidates in pivotal House and Senate races across the country are receiving support from outside super PACs, many of which have ties to the two major parties, an Axios analysis has found.”
- SupportedMore than half of the 43 candidates backed by the groups have filed no financial paperwork with the FEC.Axios: “More than half of the 43 candidates haven't filed any financial paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.”
- SupportedBuckeye Freedom PAC has reported spending more than $3.8 million on ads in Ohio's Senate election.Axios: “Buckeye Freedom PAC has reported spending more than $3.8 million on ads in Ohio's U.S. Senate election”
- SupportedBuckeye Freedom PAC supports Libertarian Bill Redpath and opposes Republican Sen. John Husted, who is in a tight race with Democrat Sherrod Brown.Axios: “supporting Libertarian Bill Redpath and opposing Republican Sen. John Husted, who is in a tight race with Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown.”
- SupportedAlaska Values PAC disclosed spending $3.8 million backing Gerald Heikes in Alaska's ranked-choice Senate race.Axios: “Alaska Values PAC has disclosed spending $3.8 million backing Gerald Heikes, a self-identified Republican running on Alaska's ranked-choice U.S. Senate ballot”
- SupportedRepublicans have accused Dan J. Sullivan of being a spoiler meant to siphon votes from the incumbent by confusing voters over their shared name.Axios: “Republicans have long accused Dan J. Sullivan of being a spoiler meant to siphon votes from the incumbent senator by confusing voters with their shared name.”
- SupportedMatthew Baker said a mailer made him “mad as hell” because it was “only telling half my story” and “trying to use me to trick people.”Axios: “Baker, a self-described "radical centrist," told the Times the mailer makes him "mad as hell" because the group is "only telling half my story" and "trying to use me to trick people."”