Campaign Ledger
Political Armistice: A Race to Stockpile
3 min read
Politics has been at the cutting edge of innovation, integrating new technologies, new platforms, new datasets, tracking, and surveys. As politics expands and experiments, costs continue to rise. During the 2024 Presidential election cycle, we saw record-breaking highs in spending, with Kamala Harris’s presidential bid racking up to $2 billion in expenses and Dave McCormick’s US Senate bid costing over $130 million. As politics becomes more professional, and as the game continues to change, it necessitates new heights of political capital to lubricate the machine. With 2025 in the rearview mirror and the 2026 cycle impending, we are witnessing new heights of off-year stockpiling.
Politicians in leadership positions, such as Speaker, Majority/Minority Leaders, Whips, etc., typically raise more money than the average candidate, since they are the primary fundraisers. A prime example of this is PA Majority House Leader Matt Bradford, who is sitting on $614,000 and funnels most PAC money to the PA House Democrat Campaign Committee.
Looking to the midterms at the end of 2026, it becomes clear that Republican strategists have planned ahead to have the necessary resources to fight tooth and nail to hold their majority across all branches of power. On February 10, 2026, the NY Times reported that major Republican groups (including House and Senate SuperPACs and National Party Committees) have a combined $320 million, compared to the Democrats’ roughly $137.2 million. The Republicans $320 million does not include President Trump’s super PAC money and other federal accounts, which brings the Republicans to over $550 million stockpiled.
Looking at Pennsylvania, a similar story is told. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County has the most cash of all Republican congressmen up for election, sitting at more than $7.3 million in cash. Bob Harvie, a Democrat and Bucks County Commissioners chair, is seeking to run against Fitzpatrick, raised $930,000 last year and passed $1 million dollars within the first weeks of the campaign.
In Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has raised almost $1.7 million last year despite not being up for reelection until November of 2027. As a new age of politics has been ushered in, political spending has continued throughout the year, with Parker spending $812,000 in 2025. With enormous spending during the year and entering 2026 with $1.6 million, the mayor’s office, as Parker spent $3.4 million in 2023 to secure the mayor’s race. Parker is not alone in stockpiling at the bank; City Council President Kenyatta Johnson raised $960,000 last year and entered 2026 with more than $1.1 million in the bank. Johnson is not up until 2027, like Parker, but has emphasized the need to stockpile cash to support other City Council members and fund community programs throughout the year.
Statewide, Josh Shapiro is preparing to face challenger and current PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity for the governorship. Shapiro is currently sitting on a $30 million war chest, compared to Garrity’s $1.5 million. In 2022, Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano raised $1.5 million in the entirety of his campaign. Republicans have been fundraising aggressively for Garrity since the close of the 2025 election cycle.
Why stockpile money? Stockpiling money acts as a deterrent for a political opponent. Rep. Bradford runs unopposed largely because of the war chest he sits on and the money he can mobilize within a few days. Stockpiling also allows for nimbility for candidates through moving large amounts of money quickly and aggressively. Additionally, it allows them to leverage debt and spend more, knowing they can fundraise on the back end. Finally, it works to build alliances, especially among down-ballot candidates. Candidates within Congressman Fitzpatrick’s district that are down ballot, such as State Senator Frank Ferry and Representative Joe Hogan, can be supported through Fitzpatrick’s million-dollar PAC, helping build down-ballot coalitions pushing for a moderate ticket or standing up to opposition both on the Republican and Democratic sides.
It is important and healthy for citizens to remain aware of politicians’ fundraising and stockpiling to such large extents. Most candidates rely on Party campaign committees to fundraise for their campaigns. When candidates fundraise themselves, they are freer and able to make distance both politically and literally from the party to stand as their own politician. Fitzpatrick and Parker both represent a mixed bag of political beliefs and have worked hard to stay away from both the most liberal and most “MAGA” sides of the party.
Stockpiling is the first of many possible indicators of the midterms. As the cycle continues, it will become clear how millions of dollars will flood the economy and the digital world as candidates fight tooth and nail for their seats.
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