Politics
Democrats divide over where to spend limited funds in expanded 2026 election map
With Election Day less than two weeks away, Democrats are debating whether to concentrate resources on newly competitive Senate races or support a broader set of candidates. Advocates are pressing for investment in Florida, Mississippi and Texas, while operatives warn other governor’s contests may be left short of money.
WASHINGTON — Democrats are facing a widening midterm map and a familiar campaign-season constraint: more races they hope to contest than available money to support them. The dispute has sharpened less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 election, with party factions pushing competing priorities for limited funds.
Progressive and establishment Democrats are at odds over where resources should go and who should help finance candidates on the party’s left flank, including Florida’s Angie Nixon and Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed.
Black lawmakers are urging greater investment in Florida for Nixon and in Mississippi for Senate candidate Scott Colom. Latino leaders, meanwhile, have criticized Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and the Democratic Governors Association for putting too little money into Texas, where Gina Hinojosa is seen as within reach of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The debate also involves races beyond the Senate. Democratic operatives working on other gubernatorial contests say those campaigns risk being underfunded as donors focus on rare opportunities to flip Senate seats in Republican-leaning states.
The competing appeals reflect a strategic choice for Democrats: whether to direct money toward a small number of potentially winnable contests or spread support across a larger field. The disagreements could deepen if election results do not deliver strong gains for the party, raising questions about who controls campaign resources and which candidates receive the support needed to compete.