Adelsons Give at Least $25 Million More to GOP for Midterms

WASHINGTON — Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, the Las Vegas Republicans who have already spent more money on federal races this year than any other donors in either political party, are piling even more of their casino fortune into Republicans’ campaign efforts, people with knowledge of their plans said Thursday.

The newest donations, made recently to a pair of Republican super PACs that are defending the party’s fragile majorities in the House and the Senate, have totaled at least $25 million — and possibly more — according to two of the people, who insisted on anonymity to disclose private financial dealings.

Campaign finance records show that the Adelsons have spent $55 million on federal elections so far this cycle. This latest gift could put them close to the $100 million mark, a staggering sum for one family to give in any election year but especially one without a presidential race.

The Adelsons have been delighted by Trump administration policies that align with their own priorities, most importantly the close ties it has forged with Israel, which included moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The Adelsons are pouring money into the midterm elections trying to ensure that Republicans remain in control in Washington.

Arriving in the final few weeks before an election, that kind of money can pay for television advertising and get-out-the-vote operations that have the potential to tip the closest races. At the very least, it will help narrow the financial disparity that has given the Democratic Party an advantage. And it could not come at a more urgent time for Republicans.

A half-dozen Republican strategists working on races across the country this week said that they had noticed a consistent uptick in their candidates’ poll numbers in their most recent surveys, most notably in several of the tightest Senate races. Speaking anonymously to divulge private campaign data, they all said the best-case situation was that they were seeing the kind of consolidation among Republican-leaning voters that has eluded the party for most of the year.

That movement, which they attribute to the unifying effect of the confirmation fight over Justice Brett Kavanaugh, has been occurring in states where the Democrat had been either tied with or ahead of the Republican — including Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and West Virginia.

Republicans are less optimistic about holding onto the 23 seats they need to keep their majority in the House. But strategists now believe that if the bounce they are seeing in their internal numbers holds, they can considerably limit their losses.

Still, this last-minute infusion of cash from the Adelsons to the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Senate Leadership Fund, both of which have close ties to party leaders in Congress, is not a panacea. President Donald Trump’s unpopularity is a drag on Republican candidates in many of the most competitive House districts, especially those with more affluent and well-educated electorates. And advertising rates have been skyrocketing in the final weeks before Election Day, meaning that $20 million can buy only a fraction of what it could have a few months ago when the Adelsons gave their initial donations.

In many of the most competitive House and Senate races, Democrats have already been outspending Republicans. With help from billionaires like Tom Steyer, who according to the most recent campaign filings has given $42 million to federal candidates, and Michael Bloomberg, who has pledged to spend $100 million on House and Senate races this year, Democrats are in a healthy financial position.

A representative for the Adelsons did not respond to requests for comment. The Congressional Leadership Fund and the Senate Leadership Fund declined to comment on the donations, which were first reported by Politico.