10 ads that defined the midterms
The gist
The New York Times listed 10 ads that defined the midterms, held in a Democratic landslide election.
The picks show which spots worked and which backfired in a record-spending season.
How it unfolded
- Oct 8, 2026The Washington Post analyzed over 8,000 political ads across television, social media and online for competitive congressional and governor's races; the economy was the most-advertised topic.
- Oct 16, 2026The New York Times reported $137 million in A.I.-generated ads flooded the midterms; the Wesleyan Media Project identified more than 220 videos using A.I.-generated fakery.
- Nov 3, 2026The Hill published an opinion piece on two controversial ads it said defined the limits of tolerance in the election.
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.
- Democratic landslide election
- An election in which the winning party wins by an overwhelming margin, far beyond a typical competitive result.
Source: Wikipedia