Voters Could See a Flood of AI Political Ads in US Midterms as Republicans and Allies Spend $120 Million

Republican candidates and allied groups account for an estimated $120 million (£89.7 million) of more than $137 million (£102.3 million) spent on AI-generated or AI-enhanced political adverts ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, according to the Wesleyan Media Project.

Democrats, meanwhile, are largely avoiding AI-generated attack videos, betting that voters' concerns about fabricated content could turn the technology into a political liability.

Researchers identified 220 AI-related political adverts during the election cycle, compared with less than $50,000 (£37,400) in spending on AI-generated ads during the 2024 elections. Republican-affiliated sponsors accounted for 88% of the tracked spending. The researchers cautioned that the total is almost certainly an undercount because AI use can be difficult to detect.

Only 27% of the identified adverts carried a disclaimer disclosing the use of AI, and the adverts appeared across 34 states, highlighting the difficulty of tracking the technology's use in political campaigns.

Democrats Turn AI Attacks Against Republicans

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has made the issue central to his campaign messaging. In one advert, he walks through a dimly lit warehouse lined with televisions showing AI-generated Republican attack ads that portray him as a radical, including depictions of him defacing a Bible and claims about his position on surgery for minors.

FactCheck.org found that a separate AI-heavy advert from Ken Paxton's campaign took some of Talarico's remarks out of context and included phrases he had not said. The latter claims have been challenged as misleading.

'No, I'm not a member of the Chinese Communist Party,' Talarico says in the video. 'No, I don't support sex change surgeries for kids.'

The Democratic candidate accuses Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton and his allies of using AI-generated material to misrepresent his record.

'I don't have to use AI, because the truth about Ken Paxton is bad enough,' Talarico says in the advert.

Another Talarico campaign video accuses Paxton of 'selling off Texas' to facilitate data centre construction. It carries a disclaimer stating: 'Made by humans, not AI.'

Talarico's response illustrates how Democrats are attempting to turn the use of AI-generated attack ads into an argument about their opponents' credibility.

Voters Wary of Fabricated Political Videos

Democratic strategists argue that AI-generated attacks could alienate voters already concerned about misleading political messaging.

'Right now, Democrats are focused on winning on our values, on affordability, on our issues, and delivering [that message] in a way that is true and honest, in the way the electorate can interpret it fairly now. Republicans just want to win,' Kelly Dietrich, founder of the National Democratic Training Committee, told The Washington Post.

Dietrich's organisation offers training to help Democratic candidates use emerging technologies. Its course on AI for progressive campaigns advises against creating fake videos of political opponents, warning that they undermine 'democratic discourse and voter trust'. More than 1,000 people have taken the course, he said.

Valentina Perez, a senior vice president at Democratic advertising firm GMMB, said campaigns needed to consider whether using AI could weaken their message.

'AI is part of the larger conversation about what we're telling voters when we are asking for their vote, which is something I think should be held to a higher standard,' Perez said.

A survey cited by The Washington Post found that around nine in 10 likely general election voters in a recent survey said using AI to create a video of an opponent saying something they never said was 'completely unacceptable', even if the video disclosed that AI had been used.

The finding reflects attitudes towards this specific practice; it does not establish whether AI advertising will affect voting behaviour.

AI Concerns Extend Beyond Election Campaigns

Democratic strategists also see concerns about AI's economic impact as relevant to the debate over its use in campaigns.

Karthik Ganapathy, co-founder of the Democratic hybrid political action committee Tomorrow Together, said many Americans feared they would lose out as AI became more influential in the economy, including through potential job losses and automated insurance claim denials.

'I think everyday Americans want someone to stand up to Big Tech,' Ganapathy said. 'They're not against AI in absolute terms, but they're nervous that if nothing is done, this tech will benefit just a small handful of billionaires and basically no one else.'

The figures highlight the scale of AI-related political advertising identified in the 2026 election cycle, compared with the much smaller total recorded in 2024. Researchers warn the figures likely undercount the total. The political debate also centres on whether voters can distinguish genuine footage from synthetic content, especially when adverts do not disclose AI use.