By BallotWire
06/29/2026
The Wire: The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down federal caps on how much political parties can spend in coordination with their own candidates, unwinding another layer of campaign finance law five months before the midterms.
Why it counts: With the caps gone, both parties can now funnel unlimited coordinated money into individual House and Senate races. The shift is expected to reshape how cash flows into congressional campaigns this fall.
The margin: The court divided 6-3 along ideological lines in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, finding the limits violate the First Amendment.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion, joined by the five other conservative justices.
Justice Elena Kagan dissented, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson.
The fine print: The ruling overturns Colorado II, the court's 2001 decision that had upheld the same caps as a guardrail against donors routing money through parties to dodge candidate contribution limits. The majority held that the limits unduly restricted parties' ability to fully back their nominees.
On the record: The decision, Kavanaugh wrote, "treats all political parties equally."
The counter: For decades, the caps were defended as an anti-corruption safeguard. Under the old rules, parties could spend between $65,300 and roughly $4 million in coordination with a candidate, depending on the office and state.
The backdrop: The case took an unusual path. The Trump-era FEC declined to defend the law and sided with the Republican challengers, prompting the court to appoint an outside attorney to argue for the limits and allow Democratic committees to intervene. It's the latest in a nearly two-decade run of rulings, from Citizens United onward, narrowing campaign finance law on free-speech grounds.
Looking ahead: Both parties can begin coordinating unlimited spending with candidates immediately, with the first real test coming in November's midterms.