What are the most expensive House of Representatives races? Here's who spent the most

Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY

Fri, November 1, 2024 at 9:03 AM UTC

4 min read

Ahead of Election Day, hundreds of millions of dollars have already been poured into House of Representatives races across the country as Democrats and Republicans both vie for control of the chamber.

Currently, the House of Representatives hangs in the balance, as Republicans hold a narrow majority of three seats in the tightest House in decades.

This year, all 435 seats on the House of Representatives are on the ballot, with swing seats in states across the country that could decide which party will have control of the chamber. Races in New York, Arizona, California, Alaska and Oregon have all spent hundreds of millions of dollars this year, according to figures from Open Secrets.

Spending from outside groups has played a role in the large sums during this cycle. With the election just around the corner, here are the most expensive House of Representatives races ranked from most expensive to least.

The figures for the following ranking were sourced from OpenSecrets. Incumbent candidates are in italics with their party affiliation noted next to their name.

1. Arizona District 1: Amish Shah (D) vs. David Schweikert (R)

Total money spent: $39,094,514
Money spent from outside groups: $23,402,144
What to know: Democrat Amish Shah is a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives. Now, he is running against the incumbent Republican David Schweikert in a district that represents portions of the rapidly growing Phoenix suburbs.

Amish Shah (left) and David Schweikert (right) the two candidates for the House of Representatives in Arizona's first district.

2. Alaska District 1: Mary Peltola (D) vs. Nick Begich III (R)

Total money spent: $38,849,331
Money spent from outside groups: $25,592,121
What to know: Democrat Mary Peltola defeated former Gov. Sarah Palin in 2022 to win her seat. Now she is running against another Democrat, Republican Nick Begich III, and a candidate from a third party for another term in Congress. Peltola is facing a diverse group of challengers due to Alaska's ranked-choice voting system.

Mary Peltola (left) and Nick Begich III (right) are facing off again in Alaska for a place in Congress.

3. California District 45: Derek Tran (D) vs. Michelle Steel (R)

Total money spent: $38,549,891
Money spent from outside groups: $26,633,580
What to know: Republican Michelle Steel is running for a second term in the House of Representatives and previously served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors for six years. Democratic challenger Derek Tran is a former U.S. Army member who is making his first foray into politics.

Derek Tran (left) and Michelle Steel (right) are the two candidates for the United States House of Representatives seat in California's 45th district.

4. New York District 19: Josh Riley (D) vs. Marc Molinaro (R)

Total money spent: $38,406,917
Money spent from outside groups: $26,380,658
What to know: Incumbent Marc Molinaro is hoping to win reelection to the House and is looking to hold off Democratic challenger Josh Riley. Riley is a lawyer who has held various positions in Washington D.C., including as a staff assistant to former New York Congressman Maurice Hinchley.

Josh Riley (left) and Marc Molinaro (right) are facing off for a seat in the next Congress.

5. New York District 3: Tom Suozzi (D) vs. Mike LiPetri (R)

Total money spent: $36,632,917
Money spent from outside groups: $23,529,551
What to know: This seat was formerly held by Republican Rep. George Santos before his 2023 expulsion. Now, the Democratic incumbent Tom Suozzi hopes to hold off Republican challenger Michael LiPetri Jr. LiPetri is a former member of the New York State Assembly.

6. New York District 17: Mondaire Jones (D) vs. Mike Lawler (R)

Total money spent: $36,068,606
Money spent from outside groups: $20,703,253
What to know: Rep. Mike Lawler is looking to hold off Democratic challenger Mondaire Jones, who lost his primary for the 10th District in 2022 after redistricting moved Jones there.

Mondaire Jones (left) and Mike Lawler (right) the two candidates facing off for a seat in the House of Representatives.

7. Oregon District 5: Janelle Bynum (D) vs. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R)

Total money spent: $34,916,876
Money spent from outside groups: $22,926,175
What to know: Incumbent Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is hoping to win reelection in a seat where five candidates from five different parties are running. The Republican’s biggest challenger is Democrat Janelle Bynum, who previously beat Chavez-DeRemer in 2016 and 2018 elections.

Janelle Bynum (left) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (right) are running in Oregon for a seat in Congress.

8. California District 27: George Whiteside (D) vs. Mike Garcia (R)

Total money spent: $34,686,505
Money spent from outside groups: $22,338,648
What to know: Democratic candidate George Whiteside is a former NASA chief of staff and aerospace entrepreneur. He is looking to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, who has been serving in the House of Representatives since 2023.

George Whiteside (left) and Mike Garcia (right) are among the top ten most expensive House of Representatives races across the United States.

9. Virginia District 7: Eugene Vindman (D) vs. Derrick Anderson (R)

Total money spent: $34,245,919
Money spent from outside groups: $14,353,534
What to know: Democratic candidate Eugene Vindman is a former U.S. Army member who served until 2022. He's facing off against Republican challenger Derrick Anderson, who is an attorney as well as a former U.S. Army member.

Alex Vindman and Eugene Vindman stand outside the US Capitol on March 13, 2024, in Washington, DC. VoteVets held a press conference with senators and representatives pushing for an aid bill for Ukraine.

10. Michigan District 7: Curtis Hertel (D) vs. Tom Barrett (R)

Total money spent: $33,664,341
Money spent from outside groups: $23,803,569
What to know: With Rep. Elissa Slotkin running for the U.S. Senate, the seat is open. Democratic candidate Curtis Hertel, a former Michigan state senator, is facing off against Republican Tom Barrett, a fellow former Michigan state senator.