5 midterm money takeaways: Democrats have candidate cash. Republicans have Elon Musk

A voter casts his ballot during early voting at the Polk County Election Office on Oct.14, 2026 in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall | Getty ImagesOne of the last big campaign-finance snapshots before the Nov. 3 Election Day is now available, and both political parties found something to like. But campaign cash is flowing in very different ways — and, on balance, points to an environment more favorable for Democrats.On one side, Democratic candidates have turned into absolute cash cows, raising oodles more than their Republican rivals across Senate and House battlegrounds.Republicans, however, still have a leg to stand on from an unprecedented flood of outside super PAC cash, bankrolled by a tiny circle of billionaires led by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The deluge of capital could be enough to stave off the worst of what has otherwise been a treacherous political environment for the GOP amid stubbornly high inflation and drooping approval ratings for President Donald Trump.A flurry of Federal Election Commission filings Thursday at a key deadline detailed what candidates raised and spent from July through September and give insight into many of the outside groups backing the...