NRSC Chair Tim Scott Predicts Record-Breaking Spending in 2026 Senate Races

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., is predicting a historically expensive 2026 midterm cycle, in which just a couple Senate races could cost upwards of $1 billion. 

Scott told donors at the NRSC’s winter meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. over the weekend that next year’s Senate race in Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins is up for reelection, could see as much as $600 million in spending, according to a GOP fundraiser who heard Scott’s remarks.

Scott also predicted that the price tag for the Senate race in North Carolina will likely run even higher, the donor said. Scott’s remarks on 2026 spending were first reported on Monday by Politico.