In the lead-up to this year's election, a political action committee tied to Gov. Wes Moore (D) made a significant move. Spending $315,000 in the days prior, their ads aimed to unseat Moore's predecessor, Republican Larry Hogan, as he vied for a U.S. Senate seat. Given the massive amounts spent in the overall election between Hogan and the victorious Democrat, Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks, this investment by Unity First PAC was relatively modest.

Unity First PAC: A Key Player

Unity First PAC, launched in the summer and run by Ned Miller, Moore's 2022 campaign manager, focused on electing Alsobrooks for Senate and Rep.-elect April McClain Delaney (D-6th) in the state's most competitive congressional races. Through Nov. 25, three weeks after Election Day, it reported raising $743,000 mostly from large donors and spending $690,200. Nearly two-thirds of that spending, $402,170, occurred in the lead-up to the election, mainly on ads attacking Hogan and former Del. Neil C. Parrott (R), Delaney's opponent. In total, the PAC spent $415,000 on anti-Hogan advertising and $75,000 on digital ads attacking Parrott. Just before the election, it raised $35,000 from two national unions - $25,000 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and $10,000 from the International Association of Firefighters. As of Nov. 25, it had $52,799 on hand, an amount that Moore and his associates will likely build on as they consider future political moves.

Moore's Political Outreach

Unity First PAC is set to sustain Moore's political activities outside Maryland. While his state campaign fund will focus on his 2026 reelection bid, which will report its activities in mid-January. The Alsobrooks-Hogan general election was a record-setter in Maryland. Alsobrooks' principal campaign committee spent $30.3 million through Nov. 25 and had $288,156 in reserve. Even after her election on Nov. 5, she raised $92,886. Hogan, expected to consider a 2026 challenge to Moore, spent over $11.5 million from his principal campaign committee, with $403,137 remaining as of Nov. 25. He loaned his campaign $500,000 just a week before Election Day. Both candidates also benefited from joint campaign funds and outside group spending. The most notable was $30.6 million from a Republican PAC called Maryland's Future, funded by well-known GOP donors. This PAC ran aggressive ads attacking Alsobrooks across multiple platforms, yet she still won by almost 12 points.

The 6th District Campaign

In the 6th District, Delaney continued to fund her campaign right up to Election Day, dropping $148,000 of her own money. In total, she invested over $3.8 million of her own money in the race, with almost $1.3 million between Oct. 17 and Nov. 4. She spent almost $5.8 million on her campaign and had $93,033 in her account as of Nov. 25. In the most competitive House district in the state, she could face Republican challenges in 2026. With Donald Trump entering the White House in January, the next midterm election is expected to favor Democrats at this early stage. Parrott, who lost three consecutive congressional races in the 6th District, spent over $1.1 million and had just $2,914 in the bank on Nov. 25.