Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Coordinated Party Campaign Spending (NRSC v. FEC)
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC that the federal cap on "coordinated party expenditures" — how much political parties may spend in coordination with their own candidates — violates the First Amendment. Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh held that the Watergate-era limit in the Federal Election Campaign Act unconstitutionally restricts core political speech, and the Court overruled its 2001 decision in FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee. Justice Elena Kagan dissented, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, warning the ruling lets party committees act as a conduit for large donors to evade contribution limits. The decision allows national and state party committees to spend unlimited sums coordinated with candidates, reshaping the 2026 midterms and beyond.