The leading super PAC for Senate Republicans is unveiling a nearly $350 million plan to preserve control of the Senate, aiming tens of millions of dollars at red-leaning states including Alaska, Iowa and Ohio as the midterm elections grow more competitive.
Top officials at the group, the Senate Leadership Fund, described its spending priorities to The New York Times, revealing what Republicans see as an eight-state battleground in 2026.
The super PAC is reserving television time to defend five Senate seats held by Republicans: Ohio, North Carolina, Maine, Iowa and Alaska. It is also targeting three Democratic-held seats in Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire. The ads are set to begin airing in early September.
“Our job is to preserve the majority,” said Alex Latcham, the executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund. The group has a nonprofit arm that has already been spending in a number of races.
In an interview, Mr. Latcham outlined $300 million in planned new spending across seven states this fall. The $300 million figure includes $271 million for television, digital and streaming ads, with the rest going to mail and other get-out-the-vote operations. The group announced plans in January to spend $42 million in Maine to re-elect Senator Susan Collins.
All told, the super PAC is allocating $236 million to defend the five Republican-held seats, compared with $106 million targeting the Democratic ones. Mr. Latcham framed the investment as only an “initial reservation” to secure better ad rates.
Republicans control 53 Senate seats. Democrats would need to flip four to take control because Vice President JD Vance holds the tiebreaking vote.
Mr. Latcham said he was “100 percent confident” that Republicans could keep Senator John Thune of South Dakota as the majority leader.
The group’s biggest spending this fall is set to be $79 million in Ohio, followed closely by North Carolina, where the super PAC is planning to spend $71 million, he said.
In Ohio, Republicans are defending the former seat of Mr. Vance. Senator Jon Husted, a Republican, was appointed as Mr. Vance’s replacement, but he must now win the remainder of his term. Democrats have recruited Senator Sherrod Brown, who lost his re-election bid in 2024, to run again.
In the race for the open North Carolina seat, Democrats are running former Gov. Roy Cooper against Michael Whatley, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Mr. Latcham said he expected North Carolina to ultimately be the most expensive race, with other groups coming in to support Mr. Whatley. He declined to comment on how much of or where MAGA Inc., President Trump’s super PAC, might spend its $300 million. “I’m not going to speak on their behalf,” he said.
The inclusion of Iowa, where the super PAC is planning to spend $29 million, is noteworthy. The state has trended away from Democrats, but Republicans are nonetheless investing early in a state where the airwaves could get cluttered with a competitive governor’s race and contested House races.
Senator Joni Ernst, the Republican incumbent, is retiring and Representative Ashley Hinson is expected to be the party’s nominee. Democrats face a primary fight between State Senator Zach Wahls and State Representative Josh Turek.
The Senate Leadership Fund is also planning to spend $15 million this fall in Alaska to defend Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican who is being challenged by former Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat.
Democrats cheered Ms. Peltola’s candidacy because she is a rare Democrat who has won statewide. But Mr. Latcham said that “the only time that money was spent in that state against Mary Peltola” — in 2024 — “she lost by a healthy margin.”
Super PACs often try to reserve television time earlier in the year to avoid price increases as the elections near.
Mr. Latcham said his group planned to spend heavily targeting Democratic seats in Michigan and Georgia, investing $45 million and $44 million.
Democrats face a three-way primary race in Michigan, where Republicans have essentially cleared the field for former Representative Mike Rogers. The reverse is true in Georgia, where multiple Republicans are vying to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff, widely seen as the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent.
The Republican super PAC is allocating $17 million to try to flip the open Senate seat in New Hampshire. There, party leaders are backing former Senator John E. Sununu in the primary against former Senator Scott Brown, who previously represented Massachusetts. Democrats have rallied behind Representative Chris Pappas.
S.L.F.’s most notable omission is Texas.
Mr. Latcham said he didn’t currently see Texas as competitive, but would spend money there if that changed.
Democrats have nominated James Talarico, a state representative who has emerged as a fund-raising force. Republicans face a messy primary runoff between Senator John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, the state attorney general.
The Senate Leadership Fund entered 2026 with $100 million in the bank, which means it plans to raise roughly a quarter-billion dollars more. The leading Senate Democratic super PAC, the Senate Majority PAC, entered 2026 with $36 million in the bank and $12.4 million in debts.
Shane Goldmacher is a Times national political correspondent.
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