Phil Berger draws more than $10 million in Republican spending as primary nears
phil berger is facing an unprecedented spending surge in his reelection fight for North Carolina's Senate District 26, with fundraising reports showing more than $8. 6 million spent by his campaign and supporting independent groups through Feb. 14 and party-aligned Republicans appearing likely to push total support past $10 million before the March 3 primary.
Phil Berger facing an unprecedented spending blitz
Berger, who is running against Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page for the state Senate seat, told a reporter, "We'll see how tight it is, " as the contest heads into the March 3 primary. The combined spending figure — more than $8. 6 million between the start of the 2025 primary cycle and Feb. 14 — came with roughly $2 million still on hand in mid-February that backers were expected to spend before the primary.
Outside groups have poured millions into ads
NC True Conservatives, an independent expenditure group largely funded by the national Good Government Coalition and linked to the Republican State Leadership Committee, has been the largest spender: $5. 9 million spent as of Feb. 14, with $720, 000 in the bank in mid-February and an additional $350, 000 received on Feb. 20. The group has spent nearly all of that on advertising and had ad contracts lined up after Feb. 14, filings with the Federal Communications Commission show, bringing its potential total on the race to just under $7 million if it spends all cash on hand.
What the campaign and other PACs have spent
phil berger's campaign has spent more than $2. 4 million since January 2025 and reported $584, 000 in available cash in mid-February. Another outside group, Citizens for NC Jobs Action PAC, has taken in $710, 000 and had spent more than $333, 000 on television advertising supporting Berger as of Feb. 14.
Political committees were required to report fundraising covering Jan. 1 to Feb. 14 by Feb. 24, and filings show that many television ad contracts were already public. Spending that occurs between Feb. 14 and the March 3 primary does not have to be disclosed yet, though campaign and committee activity in that window is expected to be significant.
The high level of investment is notable for a legislative primary that often draws roughly 20, 000 voters, a scale political analysts in the filings called an extreme outlier for this kind of race. With the March 3 primary looming, the race will now proceed under intensive ad pressure from NC True Conservatives and other pro-Berger groups while Berger and Page continue to contest the 26th District seat.
Voters in District 26 will decide the Republican nominee on March 3; campaigns and outside groups may continue spending through that date, and additional reports are expected to show any new donations and expenditures made after Feb. 14.
