The Democratic Party wants the Supreme Court to either reject a Republican effort to ease campaign finance restrictions or let Democratic groups go to court to defend the limits on coordinated spending between candidates and political committees — an unusual step Democrats say is necessary after the Department of Justice earlie this month declined to uphold the current contribution limit.
The motion — filed jointly on Friday by the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee — attempts to keep limits in place on so-called “coordinated spending” between candidates and political committees. Republicans have asked that those contributions caps be abolished, arguing the limits needlessly affect how political committees can help their preferred candidates win elections.
But Democrats say the coordinated limits are in place to make sure wealthy donors don’t have a corrupting influence on politicians.
In a joint statement, DNC Chair Ken Martin, DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene and DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand blasted the GOP’s effort.
“Republicans know they are poised to lose in the 2026 elections because their grassroots support is drying up across the country, forcing them to rely on a few far-right billionaires to fund their unpopular candidates,” they said. “The people should have the loudest voice in our democracy. Democrats won’t stand by and let Republicans pave the way for the ultra-wealthy to rig our democracy.”
Longtime Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias is listed as the counsel of record on the motion.
Current coordinated spending limits in Senate races vary depending on the size of the state, according to the Federal Election Commission, from just over $100,000 to nearly $4 million.
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Alex Roarty is a reporter at NOTUS.