Listen to the article
Record-Breaking Spending Dominates Texas Senate Race as Primary Approaches
Unprecedented campaign spending is reshaping Texas’ fiercely contested U.S. Senate race, with advertising expenditures already surpassing $110 million ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections—the highest amount ever recorded for a Senate primary, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
The financial deluge in Texas foreshadows what political analysts expect to be one of the most expensive midterm election cycles in American history, as both parties battle for control of Congress.
On the Democratic side, James Talarico has emerged as a fundraising powerhouse, reporting over $21 million raised through last week. His main competitor, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, has secured nearly $8.6 million, though most of her funds were transferred from her House campaign account after her late entry into the race in December.
Talarico launched his final pre-primary television advertisement Wednesday, taking aim at the Trump administration’s immigration policies and characterizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “secret police.” This messaging represents a shift from his earlier appeals to disaffected Republicans, where he emphasized his Christian faith.
“We can transform this broken political system,” Talarico told supporters during a rally Tuesday in Tyler, a traditionally Republican stronghold in northeastern Texas that former President Trump carried by a substantial margin in 2024.
The Republican primary has become a high-stakes battle for incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who faces serious challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, has benefited from approximately $57 million in outside spending from groups supporting his campaign.
The pro-Cornyn organization Texans for a Conservative Majority has invested more than $22 million specifically on anti-Hunt advertising. Cornyn’s official campaign committee has raised over $11 million, with two affiliated groups contributing an additional $10 million to his cause.
Republican strategists widely expect Paxton to at least advance to a May 26 runoff, despite his relatively subdued campaign and ongoing legal troubles. This prospect has alarmed Senate GOP leadership, who fear the seat could become vulnerable if Cornyn is not the nominee.
“It is a strong possibility we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee,” Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina warned Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”
Paxton has raised approximately $6 million for his campaign, while Hunt has collected about $2 million, supplemented by roughly $3 million transferred from his House campaign account when he entered the race in October.
The Democratic fundraising advantage is notable, with Talarico’s individual campaign haul exceeding the combined $19 million raised by all Republican candidates. This disparity suggests outside groups will play a decisive role in the general election if Republicans hope to maintain their hold on the seat.
Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in Texas since 1988, but changing demographics and heightened political engagement have made the state increasingly competitive. Talarico received an unexpected financial windfall earlier this month, raising $2.5 million within 24 hours after CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” canceled a scheduled interview with him, citing network legal concerns.
For her part, Crockett has positioned herself as the more combative candidate. During a recent campaign stop, she recounted her 2020 Texas House race where she was outspent 5-to-1 but still emerged victorious.
“I show up, authentically me. That makes some people cringe, but the people are tired of politics as usual,” Crockett told supporters, becoming emotional while describing her political journey.
The unprecedented spending in Texas highlights the state’s emergence as a battleground, even as Republicans have maintained their dominance in statewide races for nearly three decades. With control of the U.S. Senate potentially hanging in the balance, both parties view the Texas race as essential to their national strategies.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
6 Comments
The contest between Talarico and Crockett seems particularly heated. Their divergent messaging strategies on immigration will likely resonate with different voter blocs in the state.
I’ll be watching closely to see if this high-stakes Senate race sets new fundraising and spending records as we get closer to the general election.
Wow, over $110 million spent already on a Senate primary? That’s an astronomical amount. I wonder how this level of spending will impact the outcome and shape the general election.
Candidates are clearly pulling out all the stops to appeal to Texan voters. I’m curious to see if this translates to high turnout on primary day.
The high spending in this race reflects the importance of the Texas Senate seat. Both parties are investing heavily to sway voters and secure a critical win ahead of the midterms.
It will be interesting to see how the focus on immigration policies and ICE impacts voter sentiment in the primary.