


The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will hear a case challenging the Federal Election Commission‘s rule limiting how much a political party may spend in coordination with candidates for political office.
The lawsuit was brought by the GOP’s Senate and House campaign wings, the National Republican Senatorial and the National Republican Congressional committees, respectively, as well as Vice President JD Vance, in 2022. It alleges that the FEC’s rule limiting the spending done in coordination between a candidate and a political party violates the party’s First Amendment rights.
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The December petition asking the high court to review the case stressed the Supreme Court’s 2001 decision in FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee, which upheld coordinated expenditure limits, “was plainly wrong the day it was decided” and that developments since the decision have “only further eroded its foundations.”
“This case provides the perfect vehicle to rectify this First Amendment distortion. It comes to this Court without any obstacles to addressing the question presented and with a raft of opinions exploring the issue from virtually every angle. It provides a suite of options that would allow this Court to clarify or overrule Colorado II as it sees necessary,” the petition said.
The Supreme Court granted the petition and will hear the case in its upcoming term. A date has not been set for oral arguments in the case, but the term’s first oral arguments are scheduled for October, while the term’s final opinions are expected to be released by the end of June 2026.
Political parties are not subject to expenditure limits in support of candidates, but are subject to limits when they coordinate their efforts with the candidate. The outcome of the case will have significant ramifications for the 2026 elections, when control over the House and Senate will be hotly contested.
The chairmen of the NRSC and the NRCC, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), respectively, issued a joint statement Monday expressing gratitude that the justices will hear the case.
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“The government should not restrict a party committee’s support for its own candidates,” the joint statement said. “These coordinated expenditure limits violate the First Amendment, and we appreciate the Court’s decision to hear our case.”
“Coordinated spending continues to be a critical part of winning campaigns, and the NRCC and NRSC will ensure we are in the strongest possible position to win in 2026 and beyond,” the statement continued.