The Texas Senate primary has achieved a milestone as the most costly in U.S. history, with advertising expenditures surpassing $110 million. This significant financial influx is primarily driven by Republican candidates, who have collectively spent around $88 million, largely in support of incumbent John Cornyn. The escalating financial commitment coincides with President Trump’s planned visit to Texas, scheduled for Friday, as the competition heats up ahead of the March 3 vote.
As both parties engage in fierce battles for their nominations, the surge in spending reflects the close nature of the races. Recent data reveals that the $110.5 million in spending eclipses the previous record set during the 2022 Arizona Senate primary by approximately $1 million. Notably, external groups have contributed to about 70% of the total spending, underscoring the involvement of outside influences in the Texas electoral landscape.
Within the Republican camp, $64 million has been allocated to support Cornyn, while his competitors, Representative Wesley Hunt and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have received $11.4 million and $3.6 million, respectively. Additionally, over $5.4 million has been directed toward advertisements opposing Hunt and $3.6 million against Paxton, culminating in a total of $88 million for Republican advertising efforts.
In contrast, Democratic spending is significantly lower, totaling around $26 million. The majority of this funding is concentrated on state Representative James Talarico, who has attracted $21.5 million, compared to Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s $4.5 million.
The final weeks leading up to the primary are witnessing a dramatic increase in campaign expenditures. AdImpact projects that approximately $48.6 million will be spent on political advertising during this crucial period. Of that, Cornyn is expected to allocate around $18.8 million, while his opponents are lagging with $3.7 million for Paxton and $2.2 million for Hunt. Additionally, $5.8 million is being spent on negative advertising targeting Hunt in these last weeks.
Similarly, a considerable portion of Democratic spending is occurring in the lead-up to the election, with Talarico projected to receive $14.3 million and Crockett $3.9 million during this timeframe.
This information is drawn from figures released by the ad tracking agency AdImpact.
