The brutal 2026 attack ads even rivals had to respect
Summary
The article describes several attack ads in the 2026 U.S. midterms that drew attention from political strategists, including ads about medical debt lawsuits, past votes, and candidates’ personal lives. It also reports growing use of AI-generated political ads and backlash over ads in Michigan and Ohio.Key Facts
- Political ads in the 2026 midterms have totaled a record $11.6 billion, according to the article.
- Republican strategists praised ads targeting Sen. Roger Marshall over lawsuits against patients with overdue medical bills; some patients were later arrested.
- An ad about former Gov. Pete Ricketts’ past vote to pardon a man convicted of rape drew notice from strategists in both parties. Ricketts is expected to win re-election to the Senate.
- A radio ad in Maine attacked Democratic nominee Troy Jackson over his family relationships; Sen. Susan Collins called for it to be taken down.
- Rep. María Salazar criticized President Trump over ICE enforcement tactics, saying some immigration policies had gone too far.
- Political groups in Michigan and Texas used AI-generated images and fabricated scenes to attack candidates Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico.
- A dispute over an ad that Rep. Haley Stevens called antisemitic preceded her withdrawal of support for El-Sayed and her endorsement of former Rep. Mike Rogers.
- An ad by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy featuring his opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother drew bipartisan backlash; one internal Republican poll showed Acton’s lead growing by six points after it ran.
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