Oil companies spent $2M on Meta ads pre-midterms
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Shell, Exxon and Chevron spent $2.1 million on Facebook and Instagram ads from late July to late October 2026.
Environmental groups spent less than half that, and it is unclear whether the ads swayed voters.
Background
Shell, Exxon and Chevron are oil companies that bought "social issue" advertising on Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, in the run-up to the November 2026 U.S. elections. Yale Climate Connections, a climate-focused news outlet, reported the spending figures on Nov 5, 2026, after Democratic candidates won in a landslide. The article notes climate change was largely absent from the campaign trail, with Democratic candidates mostly keeping quiet on the issue.
How it unfolded
- late Jul 2026 to late Oct 2026Shell, Exxon and Chevron together spent $2.1 million on "social issue" ads on Facebook and Instagram, while the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club and Greenpeace spent just over $846,000.
- Nov 3, 2026U.S. elections were held; Democratic candidates won in a landslide, gaining at least seven Senate seats, 28 House seats and several governorships and statehouses. In Colorado, voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have protected a right to buy and sell natural gas.
- Nov 5, 2026Yale Climate Connections published its article on the ad spending.
Key terms
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- League of Conservation Voters
- An American environmental advocacy group that backs political candidates and mobilizes voters.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Yale Climate Connections reported the oil companies' $2.1 million was twice what the three environmental groups spent combined, and that it is unclear how much the advertising influenced the outcome, if at all.
Still unverified
Yale Climate Connections stated it is unclear how much the advertising influenced the election outcome, if at all.