AFP Action's $4 Million Push to Shape Senate and House Races

AFP Action, backed by billionaire Charles Koch, is investing over $4 million in digital ads to support Republican congressional candidates. The ads will support GOP Senate contenders in key states and 11 House candidates. This move aligns with AFP's strategy to prevent progressive dominance in Washington.

AFP Action, a prominent conservative advocacy group supported by billionaire Charles Koch, announced a $4 million digital ad campaign starting Monday to bolster Republican congressional candidates across the United States.

The investment, revealed exclusively to Reuters, will support Republican Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Montana, and Nevada, where they face tough races against incumbent Democrats. With Democrats holding a slim 51-49 Senate majority, Republicans have a chance to change the balance of power in the upcoming Nov. 5 elections.

This advertising campaign, AFP Action's most substantial this cycle, will also back 11 GOP House candidates in battleground states like Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. The organization is allocating $3.5 million for Senate ads and $549,500 for House races, including $1 million to support Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick. The ads will appear on various digital platforms, including streaming services.

To date, AFP Action has spent over $15 million on this election cycle's congressional races, excluding the latest investment. According to AFP Action, this is part of their 'Firewall Strategy' to prevent progressive one-party rule in Washington.

While AFP Action typically avoids backing presidential candidates, they supported Nikki Haley in the Republican primary until her February loss in South Carolina. Now, the group focuses on winning the Senate and defending the GOP's narrow House majority. The new ads highlight Democrats' failures on inflation and the U.S.-Mexico border, issues consistently seen as Democratic weak points in polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)