How Do Local Political Campaigns Reach Voters in the Most Expensive Midterm in History?

The 2026 midterms are projected to top $10.8 billion in political ad spend, the highest in US history, and Michigan alone accounts for more than a billion of it. So where should that money actually go?

In this episode, Shannon Allen and Krystal Vivian break down why broadcast TV no longer reaches the voters campaigns think it does, and how streaming and CTV have changed the math. Streaming now owns roughly half of all viewership, and it lets campaigns match a voter file to a household, target undecided voters in a single precinct, and adjust creative in near real time. Broadcast can’t do any of that.

Shannon and Krystal cover the lowest unit rate trap that leaves candidates paying for spots that may never air, the voter journey as a framework for smarter spending, and the real-time reporting that shows campaigns exactly who they reached and when to pivot. Whether you’re running for school board, backing a ballot measure, or managing a PAC, this is a practical look at where digital strategy wins elections.

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