Supreme Court strikes down limits on coordinated party campaign spending
The Supreme Court struck down longstanding limits on how much national party committees may spend in direct coordination with their candidates, dividing 6-3 along ideological lines . Writing for the majority in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, Justice Brett Kavanaugh held that the caps on coordinated party expenditures violate the First Amendment’s free-speech protections.
The suit originated in 2022 with two Republican committees and then-candidates including JD Vance and Representative Steve Chabot. Under the rules now invalidated, party committees could spend roughly $65,300 to $130,600 in coordination with House campaigns and between $130,600 and about $4 million with Senate candidates during the 2026 cycle.
In practice the decision lets parties pour far more money directly into coordinated work with their nominees — advertising, polling, and strategy — strengthening party committees relative to outside groups. Republican leaders called it a First Amendment victory; Democratic leaders said it benefits large donors. The change applies to both parties heading into the midterms.