Kimberly Adams

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Hello, everyone.

I'm Kimberly Adams.

Welcome back to Make Me Smart, where none of us is as smart as all of us.

Primary season for the 2026 midterm elections is well underway, with votes to winnow down party candidates already held in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Illinois.

There's another wave of elections coming up in May, with other states mostly in June and August.

So today we're taking a look at the money that's shaping the races so far and what those inside the world of campaign finance and campaigns in general are watching as the midterms get closer.

So here to make us smart about this is Democratic strategist Tim Lim, president of Lim Consulting Services.

Tim, welcome to the show.

Thanks for having me.

So, Tim, you and I have spoken about campaign strategies and money in politics several times over the years.

What's different about this cycle?

Remind folks the difference between PACs and super PACs, why it matters and how that does differ from the money that the campaigns are spending.

But one of the downsides, if you want to call it that, is that technically the super PACs are not supposed to coordinate directly with the campaigns, whereas, say, a campaign committee can work directly with the campaign on a strategy and ads and things.

Yes.

So generally speaking, how are Democrats feeling going into the midterms in terms of the money situation as well as their prospects?