PACs spending more than $6 million

Spending by political action committees in Kentucky’s most competitive U.S. House race has reached more than $6.2 million with two weeks to go until Election Day. 

In the 6th Congressional District, PACs boosting Republican Ralph Alvarado have a slight spending edge over those backing Democrat Zach Dembo, according to Federal Election Commission reports Monday. 

The GOP PACs have spent about $1.7 million in support of Alvarado and $1.4 million against Dembo for a total of nearly $3.2 million. The largest bulk of that funding, about $2.6 million, comes from the No Going Back PAC, which is tied to President Donald Trump’s political operation. Other active PACs include MAGA Inc., Americans Ready to Work and Protection Freedom PAC. 

On the Democrats’ side, PACs have spent just about $895,000 in support of Dembo and about $2.2 million against Alvarado. Most of that is $1.7 million from Kentuckians Not Corruption. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s PAC, In this Together, has reported spending $500,000 on ads against Alvarado. Other active PACs include End Citizens United, VoteVets, and the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. 

The PACs’ dollars are going toward advertising on TV, digital placements, text messaging and more. 

Alvarado’s campaign is criticizing at least one donation to Kentuckians Not Corruption — $500,000 from Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn founder who has been linked to former financier and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.  

In a Friday press release, Alvarado said “dirty Epstein Class money fueling Zach Dembo’s campaign” before adding “the least Zach Dembo could do is apologize for dragging the rest of Kentucky into the sewer with him.” 

Trump, who endorsed Alvarado ahead of the primary election, is also mentioned in the Epstein Files. Elon Musk, an ally of Trump who has given to MAGA, Inc. this year, is in the files, too. 

Federal law prevents PACs from coordination with campaigns. 

Olivia Dupree, Dembo’s campaign manager said in a statement “Dembo doesn’t solicit money from shady corporate interests or dark money donors to get elected and will never be beholden to them and their interests.” 

“(Alvarado) has never once spoken up about the terrible actions of Jeffrey Epstein until it became politically convenient to do so, while Zach has been calling for a full release of the files since his first day in the campaign,” Dupree added. “There is only one candidate who has the record and political independence required to stand up for victims of crime, including Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, and that’s Zach Dembo.”

As for the campaigns’ finances, Dembo’s campaign reported $1.4 million in receipts for the third quarter of the year and a total of nearly $2.9 million. Alvarado’s campaign reported more than $666,000 in receipts in the third quarter for a total of nearly $2.2 million.