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It's become a common practice for one side to try to influence the other's primaries, with the goal of getting a weaker candidate on the general election ballot. We explain why that strategy may not work as well in Alaska, which uses an ususual voting system that puts four candidates on the ballot, regardless of party. Also in this newsletter: |
- Election analysts have identified the 19 races that will determine control of the House next year. We are tracking the cash held by the candidates in those races.
- The second-quarter lobbying reports are in and we break down the biggest spenders, the top issues and who is raking in the most money.
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Why super PACs are suddenly spending big on Alaska’s U.S. Senate underdogs |
In the days leading up to Alaska’s primary election, two super PACs have poured nearly $2 million into the U.S. Senate race. The twist: Alaska’s unusual election format is likely to negate the efforts to tear support away from the front-runners. With Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola comfortably leading in both fundraising and polls ahead of the Aug. 18 primary, outside groups are directing much of their cash toward secondary candidates in an apparent attempt to manipulate Alaska’s top-four ranked-choice system before the general election in November. “In most elections around the country, it really is effective,” Deb Otis of the ranked-choice advocacy group FairVote told Joedy McCreary. “If you can prop up a lesser known candidate, they really can take away votes and deny the election to a front-runner. But with ranked-choice voting, when voters get a backup choice, the possibility to alter the outcomes is much narrower, so I think they’ll be disappointed with the impact here.” |
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House toss-up dashboard: Following the money in the 19 races that matter most |
Control of the House of Representatives is up for grabs this fall, and the results will likely come down to fewer than two dozen races across 14 states. With most of the primaries in the rearview mirror, we now know who will be on the ballot in nearly all of those races – and how much money they have banked. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has identified 19 districts that it considers “toss-ups” – competitive races that both the Democratic and Republican candidates have a good chance of winning. We are tracking the money in those races. |
Through June 30 (except for races that had more recent pre-primary filings), those candidates’ cash-on-hand totals range from $310,000 for Amish Shah, the Democratic nominee in Arizona’s 1st district, to $5.3 million for Christina Bohannan, the Democrat running in Iowa’s 1st. The narrowest gap is in Virginia’s 2nd district, where just $236,000 separates Elaine Luria (D) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R). At the other end of the spectrum, Rep. Mike Lawler (R) has banked $3.4 million more than Cait Conley (D) in New York’s 17th district. |
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Lobbying spending cools slightly in second quarter but remains near record levels |
Lobbying spending neared $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026, the second-highest second-quarter total since Congress started requiring quarterly lobbying reports in 2008, with pharmaceutical companies, major manufacturers and tech firms ranking among the top spenders at the midpoint of the year. The Q2 total was down 0.5% – or, about $6.9 million – from the same period in 2025, when it set the second-quarter record, according to an OpenSecrets analysis of federal lobbying reports. The modest dip marks a cooling off after a record-breaking $1.4 billion was spent in the first three months of 2026, Joedy McCreary and Sarah Gross report. A record total of 17,118 organizations combined to spend $2.7 billion on lobbying through the first half of the year, keeping overall federal lobbying on pace to set an annual spending record for the 10th consecutive year. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Realtors once again topped the list of spenders with totals down slightly from the same period in 2025. |
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See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week: |
‘As toxic as AIPAC’: Progressive leader wants Dems to reject AI cash (MS NOW) As of the end of June, data compiled by OpenSecrets for MS NOW shows that Leading the Future and its affiliates had raised more than $76.5 million so far this cycle. The group had also already spent tens of millions of dollars in electoral contests — some of that backing Republicans, some backing Democrats. OpenSecrets’ director of insights, Brendan Glavin, told MS NOW that the AI spending this year looks like a “prelude” to what’s going to happen in 2028. |
Same dark money groups fight redistricting in MO, backed it in other states (KMOV) Groups that fall under the dark money umbrella are often 501(c)4 nonprofits that don’t have to include their donors in yearly tax filings, according to Brendan Glavin, director of insights at OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics. “People have found that, I can use this legal entity, this vehicle, to put money into the political system,” Glavin said. “Basically, use these vehicles in a way that they weren’t really intended for. So it’s essentially kind of a loophole.” |
How the UAE won over Washington (Financial Times) The UAE has spent more than $270mn in Washington over the past 10 years alone, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks money in US politics. Together with its Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia ($422mn) and Qatar ($269mn), it ranks among the top 10 spenders in the world. |
Outspent Two to One: How Peggy Flanagan Beat the Establishment (Newsweek) Craig raised $12.6 million to Flanagan’s $6.4 million, per OpenSecrets. Backing Craig’s bid were the likes of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while Flanagan secured the endorsements of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. |
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