Welcome to Mastering the Midterms, a series dedicated to breaking down the data, trends, and shifts defining the 2026 political advertising landscape.
The 2026 election cycle is just getting started, but campaigns are already throwing out the old playbook. A smarter, more aggressive, and hyper-local strategy is taking over, with programmatic CTV right at the center of it all.
February data from our platform shows that campaigns aren’t just starting earlier; they’re investing smarter, targeting key local races with unprecedented local precision.
A decisive shift: February data shows an early and aggressive CTV investment
The numbers from February don’t just show growth – they signal a massive strategic shift. While the rest of the political world was looking ahead, savvy campaigns were already making their moves on CTV.
The data tells a clear story:
This surge isn’t happening in a vacuum. It aligns with broader industry predictions that see political ad spending on CTV exploding. Experts project that CTV’s share of political ad budgets will jump 25% in 2026, on its way to becoming the dominant force in political media. The February numbers prove that the future is arriving faster than anyone predicted.
It’s all about the down-ballot
While national headlines may still be months away, the real battles are already being fought at the local level. A look at where CTV ads are running reveals a new map of political power, where down-ballot races are commanding outsized attention.
Texas is ground zero for this early action. With several congressional seats in play and a rapidly shifting demographic landscape, the state has become a laboratory for how local CTV can mobilize, persuade, and win in districts where every vote counts.
Meanwhile, the significant activity in states like Maine and Iowa – both home to competitive federal and statewide races – highlights a crucial trend: early investment in voter outreach is the new standard. In California, the high volume of CTV ads points to another dynamic, where campaigns are using programmatic streaming to cut through the noise and cost of the nation’s most expensive and fragmented broadcast markets.
Why campaigns are turning to CTV
Three key forces are driving this shift to local CTV:
What the February numbers signify for the cycle ahead
1. Early engagement is the new normal.
A 303% month-over-month surge in impressions is a clear signal that the race for 2026 is already underway. Campaigns that wait for the traditional Labor Day kickoff will be left behind.
2. All politics are local (especially on CTV).
The intense focus on specific congressional districts proves that the future of local advertising lies in down-ballot races. This is where elections are won and lost, and where CTV’s granular targeting provides a decisive advantage.
3. CTV is no longer an add-on, but a necessity
With household reach jumping 165% in a single month, CTV has graduated from a supplemental tactic to a foundational component of any modern campaign. It offers the scale of television with the precision needed to win in today’s fragmented media landscape.
The early data from 2026 makes one thing clear: the future of political advertising isn’t just national. It’s local. And it’s happening right now on CTV.
Ready to build your new playbook?
The rules have changed. Download our Local Edge Political Guide for the blueprint on how to win in a CTV-first world.
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