Overview
- The Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, struck down coordinated‑expenditure limits on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, ruling they violate the First Amendment.
- The case was brought by Republican campaign committees with Vice President J.D. Vance and former Rep. Steve Chabot as plaintiffs and overturns a 25‑year precedent that had upheld coordination limits.
- Republican leaders and President Trump hailed the decision as a First Amendment victory, and GOP committees have already moved to shift independent‑expenditure programs into coordinated spending.
- Key practical questions remain unsettled, most importantly whether coordinated buys will qualify for candidates’ lowest unit charge ad rates and how disclosure and contribution rules will be applied.
- Democrats, watchdogs and three liberal justices warned the change opens a route for large donors to skirt candidate limits and could accelerate high‑dollar spending that reshapes the 2026 midterm landscape.