Early wave of advertising elevates records and draws sharp contrasts on cost-of-living policies in North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Montana, and Iowa
ARLINGTON, VA — AFP Action today announced a $6.3 million advertising campaign spanning six critical U.S. Senate battleground states, one of the largest early-cycle outside investments of the 2026 midterms. The campaign puts the cost of living — groceries, gas, and everyday goods — at the center of each race by elevating endorsed candidates’ pro-growth solutions, and in some states drawing sharp contrasts with their opponents’ records.
The ads run in North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Montana, and Iowa — states where AFP Action has already been building momentum through early grassroots engagement. The campaign spans broadcast, cable, and digital and streaming platforms, reaching both base Republican voters and the independent and swing voters whose support will decide each race in November.
The investment arrives at a defining moment in the cycle. AFP Action’s data and door-to-door conversations consistently show voters in all six states asking one question above all others: who has a credible plan to lower costs? The narratives in these races are still forming. That makes now — before late-cycle advertising saturates the airwaves and opinions harden — the most consequential persuasion window in the entire election.
“Across these six states, voters are telling us the same thing at every door: they want to know who’s going to lower their grocery bill and bring down the cost of gas. The candidates we’re supporting have real plans to do exactly that, and they stand in stark contrast to the progressive policies have only made things worse. That’s the choice, and we’re going to make sure voters see it clearly.” — Nathan Nascimento, Executive Director, AFP Action
About AFP Action’s Grassroots Engagement
AFP Action operates permanent grassroots chapters across the country with year-round field teams ready to engage voters at the critical time. AFP Action’s grassroots teams have already been on the ground in all six states knocking on more than 815,000 doors.Those conversations build the voter intelligence that inform a targeted, layered approach to engagement that combines digital and TV, mail, and one-on-one outreach. In a cycle where every competitive Senate race will be decided by narrow margins among persuadablevoters, that early foundation can be the difference in closing the gap and winning in November.
STATE-BY-STATE ACTIVITY & AD CAMPAIGN DETAILS
North Carolina — Michael Whatley vs. Roy Cooper
AFP Action’s $750,000 advertising buy in North Carolina includes two ads on digital and streaming platforms: a gas prices ad connecting rising costs at the pump to Roy Cooper’s support for costly regulations and government barriers and a contrast ad making the case that Cooper’s policies will cause today’s high prices to surge even higher.
Click here to watch “Unleash American Energy”
Michigan — Mike Rogers
AFP Action’s $1,775,000 Michigan buy is the largest in this initial wave, reflecting the state’s status as one of the highest-stakes pickup opportunities of the cycle. The buy spans broadcast, cable, and digital and streaming platforms and includes two targeted ads: both focused on the kitchen-table economic concerns driving the race.
Click here to watch “Now’s the Time.”
Ohio — Jon Husted vs. Sherrod Brown
Ohio’s $1,750,000 campaign deploys AFP Action’s proven gas prices contrast across broadcast, cable, and digital and streaming platforms, connecting high energy costs directly to Sherrod Brown’s progressive spending and regulatory record in the U.S. Senate. AFP Action knocked more than one million doors in Ohio in 2024, playing a decisive role in the election of U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno. That same model is now fully engaged in support of Jon Husted.
Click here to watch “New Normal.”
Click here to watch “Ohio Already Knows.”
Click here to watch “Less Washington, Real Results.”
New Hampshire — John Sununu vs. Chris Pappas
New Hampshire’s $750,000 digital and streaming campaign includes two ads: a gas prices ad spotlighting Chris Pappas’s record and the cost-of-living consequences of his approach to energy and spending, and a contrast ad drawing a sharp distinction between Pappas and Sununu on economic leadership.
Click here to watch “Unleash American Energy.”
Click here to watch “Two Paths.”
Montana — Kurt Alme
AFP Action’s $500,000 Montana campaign is a digital and streaming ad focused on introducing Alme to Montana voters on the cost-of-living issues driving their concerns. AFP Action’s 2024 early grassroots engagement knocked on more than 688,000 doors to help elect Senator Tim Sheehy.
Click here to watch “Enough.”
Iowa — Ashley Hinson
Iowa’s initial $800,000 buy spans digital, streaming, and cable platforms, connecting voters to Hinson’s policies to drive down the cost of living. The advertising campaign will expand with a radio component reinforcing the same core messages. AFP Action’s early presence in Iowa is a direct reflection of the urgency of the moment and the window when voters are most receptive.
Click here to watch “Lower Costs.”
