New House Dem Media Buy Shows Dems On Offense, Strong, And Expanding The Map

They are weak, and we are strong

Morning all. Building on my posts from the past few days that reviewed new data showing how 2026 was becoming a year of opportunity for Democrats (here, here, here), let’s spend some time today with the announcement by the House Dem SuperPAC, The House Majority PAC, of their initial general election media buy. PACs, party committees, and campaigns make these early reservations to lock in lower rates, as late buys can often be far more expensive, particularly for SuperPACs, which pay a higher rate than the campaigns of federal candidates.

These buys are an important window into how parties see the map and the election unfolding. Washington got a big wake up call a few weeks ago when that big $342 Senate Republican PAC media buy allocated most of its money to defending seats they currently hold, including in deep red states like Alaska, Iowa, and Ohio. It was an official acknowledgement by the GOP that they understood their Senate majority to be in jeopardy. Here’s how Politico played it for example:

And here’s the breakdown of the Senate buy:

The new House Dem SuperPAC buy announced Thursday is enormous and aggressive - $272m over 22 states and 68 media markets. Note that the initial House Republican SuperPAC buy was only $153m, over $100m less than ours. Folks have wanted Dems to be on offense, fighting, “going big” - well, here is what offense looks like everyone:

Washington, D.C. – House Majority PAC is placing $272 million in initial television and digital reservations for the 2026 election cycle across 68 media markets, marking the largest early investment in the organization’s history. Nearly 80% of these reservations are in offensive districts—underscoring HMP’s commitment to aggressively expanding the House battlefield and putting more seats in play than ever before.

These initial reservations allow HMP to lock in lower rates early and prioritize expensive and crowded markets as Democrats expand the battlefield and build momentum toward taking back the House majority.

HMP’s initial reservations include a digital reservation that totals $80 million. This represents the largest digital advertising reservation in HMP’s history, double our $40 million reservation in 2024. HMP will prioritize reserving CTV/OTT, premium, non-skippable inventory across the battlefield for the cycle.

The combined sum of these reservations is nearly $86 million more than HMP’s initial reservations in 2024. Specifically in Spanish language programming, HMP’s reservations have increased 140% from the first round of Spanish language reservations in 2024.

HMP’s initial ad reservations totaled $186 million in 2024 and $101.8 million in 2022.

“HMP’s historic television and digital ad reservations reflect that Democrats are firmly on offense heading into November,” said HMP President Mike Smith. “While Democrats are expanding the map nationwide, House Republicans are losing ground after failing to lower costs, making health care more expensive, and dragging us into another costly and unpopular foreign war. Democrats will take back the House in November, and elect Hakeem Jeffries as the next Speaker.”

You can find the complete press release, including details on how much HMP is spending in each state and media market, here. Here’s what readers of the Wall Street Journal saw on Thursday morning - Democrats strong and on offense, Republicans weak and on defense:

These buys confirm that the 2026 election has become one of opportunity for Democrats. We are pushing deep into red states and red places, expanding the map. House Democrats are playing in 22 states - 22 states! - and Senate Dems are playing hard and competitive in states that we have not regularly won races in for decades. So many voters who have not heard from Democrats very often in recent years are going to be hearing from us this year:

Yes, the Senate can really flip this year:

It’s exciting, encouraging stuff all. We are having the election we all hoped we would have. Now, we have to keep our heads down, keep doing the work, and seize the opportunities in front of us across the country…..

Yes, We Can Do This People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winning The Midterms, Competing In Red States and Red Places, Expanding The Map

Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign (2026) - $608,700 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new ambitious, audacious even, q2 goal) - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed House challengers with one click | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews. Interviews with Jonathan Nez and Elaine Luria coming soon!

If you are looking for inspiration watch a few of these interviews - I promise these great candidates will get you excited about our opportunities this November! For it is simple - if we win these twelve races the House flips. Period.

James Talarico For Texas - $62,200 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Volunteer and Learn More | Enjoy my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue

Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $86,200 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Volunteer and Learn More | Enjoy my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue

Winning Ohio - $127,900 raised, $250,000 goal - Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton/Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party | Donate today and help us turn this critical 2026 battleground blue | Watch my new discussions with US Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Lt. Gov candidate David Pepper, and Ohio Dem Chair Kathleen Clyde

This total includes $21,00 sent by a Hopium community member directly to each of our three Buckeye State partners!

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $530,400 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up! | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five new battlegrounds

Many thanks to two generous Hopium community members who have audaciously donated $20,000 to each of our five state parties over the past two years.

Roy Cooper for NC Senate (2026) - $107,500 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my new discussion with Gov. Cooper as he fights to turn North Carolina blue

Jon Ossoff GA Senate (2026) - $169,800 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Enjoy my inspiring conversation with Senator Ossoff

Remember you can find all of our interviews with our inspiring 2026 candidates under the Podcast tab on the main Hopium site and on our channels on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify too.

Advocate For The Hopium Agenda/Pass Resolutions Of Condemnation In Your Community/Winning In An Evolving Battlefield

There are a few more ways to go to work in the coming days - call your leaders and advocate for elements of our working, ever evolving Hopium Agenda; bring resolutions that condemn our Mad King and lets facts be spoken to a candid world to your state or local government; and learn how you can help us win in evolving political and electoral battlefield this year.

Here’s our working Hopium Post-Iran Disaster Agenda:

• Work to end this new gulf war and Trump’s Imperial global ambitions

• Support Ukraine and Europe, not Russia

• Roll back the new, illegal tariffs

• Rescind the Trump tax cuts, claw back the extra ICE funding, fund the IRS so it can collect the taxes the rich are hiding from us

• Launch a major anti-corruption, renewing democracy campaign, one that ensures accountability for the crimes and treason committed, limits the political power of our emerging oligarchy, and strengthens democracy here and everywhere

• Make the US a clean energy superpower, fight for true energy independence, and lower utility and energy prices for the American people

• Rein in ICE, end Mass Deportation

• End Trump’s destructive war on science, research, our health scare system and our public Health

• Make clear to American farmers that we want to end the failed war, repeal the terrible tariffs, find legal pathways for farm workers, and make health care and energy more affordable

This week our calls should clearly focus on reining in the illegal war in the Middle East and ICE here at home, and rescinding the tariffs that are doing so much damage to our economy.

And please use the paid subscriber chat to self-report the good trouble you make each day.

Keep working hard all. We have a country to save and an election to win, together! - Simon