How does a staggering $57 million in outside funding secretly reshape the fate of a local election?

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A $57 million wave of outside spending can reshape a local election by overwhelming the candidates’ own messages, saturating voters with ads, and making a state race function like a national proxy fight. In New Hampshire’s Senate contest, PACs and super PACs have poured roughly $57 million into the race, making it one of the most expensive in the country. The biggest money has gone not to traditional ground campaigning but to digital ads, television, mailers, phone calls and texts. That volume matters because it can define how voters see a candidate before the candidate can do it personally. Even John E. Sununu, who is trying to present himself as an independent-minded Republican, has had to compete with outside groups framing the race in much harsher terms. The effect is magnified because much of the spending comes from organizations that can raise unlimited sums, and some funding streams are difficult for voters to fully trace. Experts on campaign finance say that does not automatically prove a candidate is controlled by donors, but it does create lasting pressure: candidates must break through narratives written by others, while voters receive a steady diet of simplified or negative messaging. The New Hampshire race shows the practical result. Outside groups aligned with both sides have spent millions attacking opponents and reinforcing partisan images in a state where many voters value independence and ticket-splitting. That can narrow space for policy debate on housing,…

Sununu Tests Post-Trump GOP Pitch in New Hampshire's 2026 Senate Race

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Sununu Tests Post-Trump GOP Pitch in New Hampshire's 2026 Senate Race

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