More than 40 third-party candidates in pivotal House and Senate races are receiving support from outside super PACs, many of which have ties to the two major parties, according to an Axios analysis published November 1, 2026. The report was written by Andrew Solender.

Axios said the sums involved total more than $16.5 million. According to the same report, that amount is far greater than virtually any of those candidates have raised or spent on their own, which Axios presented as the reason the spending matters.

The Axios headline describes the activity more sharply. It says Democrats and Republicans are quietly bankrolling "dozens of third-party spoilers." The summary of the report available for this story describes outside groups with ties to the parties, not the parties themselves. Those two descriptions are not the same, and the summary does not say whether the national parties or their committees contributed any of the money.

The summary also does not identify the specific races, the named super PACs, or the individual candidates involved. It does not include any response from the candidates, the parties, or the groups that financed them.

Readers who want those details, and the basis for the $16.5 million total, should consult the full Axios report, which was not available in complete form for this story.

Sources: Axios: Dems and GOP quietly bankroll dozens of third-party spoilers.