With $11.6 billion spent, operatives pick out 2026's most damaging attack ads
Republican strategists singled out spots against Roger Marshall, while both parties singled out an ad about Pete Ricketts; AI-generated ads in Michigan and Texas depicted fabricated scenes, and a Texas ad put words in a Democratic candidate’s mouth, Axios reports
A record $11.6 billion has flooded screens across the country in the 2026 midterms, and only a handful of ads have earned the grudging respect of operatives on both sides, Axios reports. Multiple Republican strategists singled out a series of attacks on Sen. Roger Marshall over lawsuits against patients, while an ad in Nebraska about a past pardon was named by both parties as among the cycle's most damaging, and AI-generated spots in Michigan and Texas depicted fabricated scenes, while a Texas ad put words in a Democratic candidate's mouth.