The 10 most expensive House races of the 2026 midterm elections

Less than one week until Election Day, total ad spending and reservations in House general elections are over $1.6 billion.The 2026 election cycle, now in its final days, will be the most expensive midterm ever, according to figures tabulated by tracking firm AdImpact.North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, where Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) is fighting to hold on to his seat after redistricting in the state, is the most expensive House race both this cycle and in U.S. history. Many of the races cracking the top 10 were redrawn this cycle to favor Republicans, but a difficult political environment has given Democrats a chance in several of them, and, as a result, the price tag reflects that.Here are the 10 most expensive House contests this cycle:1. North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District More than $52 million has been spent in the race, with Democrats spending roughly $30 million and Republicans spending $23 million, making it the most expensive House general election on record, according to AdImpact. The race is one of the most competitive contests on the map, after North Carolina Republicans redrew the state’s congressional map in 2025 to create an additional GOP-leaning seat by reshaping the 1st District, which had a sizable black population.The new configuration moved several counties with substantial black populations into a neighboring Republican district while adding more conservative-leaning coastal counties to Davis’s seat. Under the new boundaries, President Donald Trump would have the district by more than 11 points in 2024.2. Florida’s 25th Congressional District Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) is similarly fighting to hold on after the Florida state legislature redrew district lines, shifting his 23rd Congressional District into the 25th. Democrats have spent over $24 million on the race, while Republicans have spent roughly the same amount, according to AdImpact.Under the new map, which spans from Boca Raton down to Miami Beach, Trump would have won the district in 2024 by 9 points. Moskowitz is considered to be the favorite in the contest, according to nonpartisan race raters.3. Michigan’s 7th Congressional District Freshman Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) is locked in a competitive reelection bid against Will Lawrence, a climate activist and former member of the Democratic Socialists of America.The race is considered a toss-up; however, Republicans have vastly outspent Democrats in the district, according to AdImpact. Republicans have spent $28 million while Democrats have spent $19 million, giving Barrett a financial edge.Trump won the district by just over 1 point in 2024.4. New York’s 17th Congressional District Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) is one of two Republican incumbents defending a seat won by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Over $46 million has been spent in the race, with Republicans making up roughly $26 million of the spending. Democrats have spent a little over $20 million.Harris won the Hudson Valley-area seat in 2024 by less than 1 percentage point. Lawler is facing Democrat Cait Conley, an Army veteran.5. Michigan’s 10th Congressional District More than $44 million has poured into Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, a suburban Detroit seat left open after Rep. John James (R-MI) launched a gubernatorial bid.Democrats and Republicans have spent a similar amount in the race, $23 million and $21.4 million, respectively. Democrat Christina Hines, an attorney, is facing Republican and Army veteran Mike Bouchard.Trump won the district by 7 points in 2024, but former President Joe Biden won it in 2020.6. Texas’s 34th Congressional District In another redistricted seat, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (D-TX) is facing Republican Eric Flores in Texas’s 34th Congressional District. Texas’s state legislature significantly reshaped the district under its new map, with 40% of it new. The new configuration, which sits in the southernmost part of Texas, now extends north to Corpus Christi.Over $42 million has been spent in the race, with Republicans spending almost $22 million as they try to oust Gonzalez. Democrats, meanwhile, have spent roughly $21 million to defend the incumbent.The district would have gone to Trump by 10 points under the new lines, according to the Texas Tribune, as he made strong gains with Hispanic voters in 2024. But expected Latino backlash to the Republican Party could put this seat out of reach for the GOP this cycle.7. Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) won reelection by three points in 2024, making it a prime flip opportunity for Democrats this cycle. Democrats have spent more than $21 million to flip the seat, while Republicans have spent a little over $20 million to defend it.Van Orden is facing Democrat Rebecca Cooke in the general election, a rematch of their 2024 matchup. The rural, western Wisconsin district went for Trump by 7 points in 2024.8. Colorado’s 8th Congressional District Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), a freshman, is facing a competitive challenge from state Rep. Manny Rutinel. Republicans hold a slight spending advantage, having spent over $21 million while Democrats have spent just under $20 million.The district went for Trump by almost 2 points in 2024. It is one of the newer seats in the country, created after Colorado gained a seat following the 2020 census. The district lies north of Denver.9. Florida’s 14th Congressional District In another Florida district reshaped by redistricting, Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) is in a much less friendly environment this cycle. Democrats have invested heavily in the race, spending over $24 million, while Republicans have spent roughly $20 million.Castor is facing former state Rep. Mike Beltran in the general election. Redistricting split the city of Tampa into districts to add more Republican-friendly suburban areas. Trump would have won by 11 points in 2024.10. California’s 22nd Congressional District Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) is facing Randy Villegas, a Visalia Unified School District board member, in the general election. The incumbent Republican is also facing a tougher reelection bid after California Democrats redistricted the Central Valley seat. Though he is likely an underdog, Valadao has survived during tough political years before.Democrats have spent over $21 million to oust Valadao. Republicans, meanwhile, have spent $18 million to defend the seat.The district, under its new lines, would have voted for Trump by less than 2 points.