Most expensive midterm ever: Cost of 2018 election surpasses $5.7 billion
With more than $5.7 billion shelled out by candidates, parties, committees, PACs and outside groups, the 2018 midterm leapfrogs even the then-record breaking 2008 presidential election which saw nearly $5.3 billion in total spending. It also smashes the previous midterm spending record of $3.8 billion in 2014.
With more money to play with than ever before, total candidate spending grew by more than $1 billion over the previous midterm election cycle. Non-party outside spending experienced a larger percentage increase — 84 percent over 2014 — as it ballooned to nearly $1.1 billion.
Though Democrats lost crucial Senate races, they made massive gains in the House thanks in part to an unprecedented $300 million spending advantage — and the candidate with more money usually wins.
Undisclosed “dark money” spending from liberal groups totaled $81 million, compared to just $43 million for their conservative counterparts. It’s a stark departure from 2014, when non-disclosing conservative groups outspent liberal ones $140 million to $39 million.
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/02/cost-of-2018-election-5pnt7bil/