Republicans Land Supreme Court Victory Over Campaign TV Ad Rates

Republicans have landed a legal victory over campaign TV ad pricing ahead of the midterm elections.

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted the GOP an emergency appeal, which is supported by the Trump administration, temporarily halting a lower-court’s ruling in favor of Democrats that discounted broadcast ad spots should be limited to candidates, the Associated Press reported.

While federal law allows candidates to pay discounted rates for airtime around elections, the FCC’s Media Bureau has recently argued that some party-coordinated ads should be entitled to the same rates.

After Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff was among four Democrats to challenge the finding in court, resulting in a victory from the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of appeals, the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee called on the Supreme Court to intervene.

With multiple justices agreeing the lower court acted too soon, differing from other courts with its decision, the Supreme Court’s order states, “Current and future recissions will require the party committees to pay more for advertising space, thereby hampering their efforts to reach the electorate in the critical weeks leading up to the midterms.”

The latest Supreme Court battle around the upcoming midterm elections comes after Gov. Newsom countered the GOP’s redistricting efforts earlier this year.