Supreme Court Invalidates Federal Limits on Party-Coordinated Spending, Impacting State Laws
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission that federal limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates violate the First Amendment. The 6-3 decision, authored by Justice Kavanaugh, overturned the precedent set by FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee and invalidated the federal party-coordinated-expenditure limits outlined in 52 U.S.C. § 30116(d). These limits previously set ceilings for coordinated expenditures by national and state party committees. The Court maintained that existing base contribution limits, earmarking rules, and disclosure requirements sufficiently address potential circumvention, rendering the additional ceilings on party speech disproportionate. The decision does not automatically nullify state laws but provides a framework for evaluating state restrictions on party support for candidates. Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have laws limiting party co... 
