WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Federal Election Commission v. The National Republican Senatorial Committee on July 1, 2026. The decision overturned a 1971 federal election law that limited coordinated spending between political parties and their candidates, holding that the restrictions violate the First Amendment right to free speech.

The six conservative justices voted in support of the committee, while the three liberal justices dissented. The legal challenge originated with party committees representing then-Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio and then-Senate candidate JD Vance.

In 2022, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) argued that coordinated spending was equivalent to direct campaign contributions and stated that spending limits helped prevent corruption by stopping wealthy donors from using party committees to funnel unlimited funds to candidates. A Colorado court upheld the 1971 law's restrictions in 2001, and a federal appeals court in Cincinnati upheld the spending limits in 2024. After Donald Trump took office, the FEC reversed its stance and stopped defending the law. The Supreme Court then allowed law supporters, including the Democratic National Committee, to intervene and defend the statute.

As a result of the ruling, political party committees can now spend an unlimited amount in coordination with a candidate's campaign. Before the decision, spending limits for Senate candidates ranged from $127,000 to $3.9 million, depending on the state's population. For House of Representatives races, parties could spend up to $127,000. Donations to political parties and committees still have legal limits on amounts individuals and corporations can contribute. Under current federal campaign finance rules, an individual can donate $5,000 per year to a traditional PAC and $3,500 to an individual candidate.

Donald Sherman, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, said, "This decision, as with its other campaign finance decisions since Citizens United, will inevitably render the government more responsive to special interests and indifferent to the demands of the American people." Senate Democrats issued a statement saying the decision benefited "billionaire donors and special interests who want more influence over the GOP agenda and an invitation for corruption."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a statement following the ruling: "By striking down these unconstitutional caps on coordinated spending, the Court has restored core political speech and ensured parties can compete on a level playing field." The committee added, "We are ready to fully support our candidates and put them in the strongest possible position to win in 2026 and beyond." An analysis by the committee acknowledged that while the case would affect both political parties, it would more greatly benefit Republicans because the GOP has been outraising Democratic counterparts.