The FEC's filing system was down from Monday night until Wednesday afternoon. For those two days, outside groups couldn't file their 24-hour reports, the ones that show new ad buys within a day. When the system came back, the backlog landed all at once.
Most of it is on one side. In those reports, groups helping Democrats put $217 million into Senate and House races. Groups helping Republicans put in $65.5 million.
Who
House Majority PAC, the House Democrats' main super PAC: $71.2 million across 52 House races, almost all of it against Republicans. The most went to Florida's 25th ($4.8 million), Michigan's 7th ($4.3 million) and Florida's 22nd ($4.2 million).
WinSenate: $52.2 million across 10 Senate races. The most went to Ohio ($21.7 million: $12.7 million against Jon Husted and $9 million for Sherrod Brown), then Michigan ($8.4 million) and Iowa ($7.9 million).
No Going Back PAC, the biggest Republican-side spender: $36.2 million across 44 races, $30.5 million of it in the House. The most went to Texas's 35th ($3.1 million) and Florida's 14th and 22nd ($3.0 million each).
Where
Ohio Senate: $25.6 million for Democrats, $1.7 million for Republicans.
Texas Senate: $22.4 million for Democrats, $0.1 million for Republicans.
Iowa Senate: $11.9 million to $3.3 million. Kansas: $9.9 million to $2.3 million.
Michigan Senate was the one big Senate race where Republicans got more: $16.4 million to $13.2 million.
What it means
These are closing ad buys. Almost all of it is TV, digital and other media, and most is dated Tuesday, Oct. 27.
For the whole year, Republican-side groups still lead in the races we track, $1.54 billion to $1.21 billion. But this one drop cut that lead from $473 million to $333 million in a single day.
One caution: 71% of these dollars are listed as estimates. Groups correct them in later filings.
Source: the FEC's bulk file of independent expenditures (outside spending), reports received Oct. 28–29, latest version of each, downloaded Oct. 29 at 8:10 am PT. Spending for or against Democratic and Republican candidates for Senate and House.
We update the money every morning: rationalground.com