Across battleground House and Senate races, the most frequently cited figure in GOP ads is former President Joe Biden, not progressive icons.

Republicans have struggled to pin a single, cohesive boogeyman for this year's midterms, instead targeting Democratic socialism, the 'radical' left, and individual figures like Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders, and Mamdani without a dominant overarching theme in ads.

A review of hundreds of ads shows Biden appears in dozens of races, signaling a strategy centered on attributing issues to the Biden administration rather than elevating a unified ideological foe.

Former President Donald Trump remains a presence in ads, but his effectiveness as a focal punchline has diminished since leaving office and stepping back from day-to-day spotlight, especially compared with Biden's prominence in the 2024 cycle.

AdImpact data show Biden mentioned in more than 1,000 Republican House and Senate ads at this stage of the 2024 cycle, underscoring his outsized role in GOP messaging.