By JOHN HANNA, AP Political Author
Candidates and political teams are pouring cash into Texas’ hotly contested U.S. Senate race at a document tempo, partly fueled by Democrat James Talarico’s fundraising and allies of Republican Sen. John Cornyn attempting to save lots of his lengthy profession.
Heading into Tuesday’s major elections, the price of promoting and reserved promoting time had topped $110 million, probably the most ever for a Senate major, in accordance with the ad-tracking agency AdImpact. The heavy spending in Texas is a preview of the cash that’s anticipated to flood this yr’s midterm elections throughout the U.S. with management of Congress at stake.
Talarico faces U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett for the Democratic nomination and on Wednesday launched his last tv advert earlier than the first. It assaults the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement techniques, describing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “secret police.”
Talarico reported elevating greater than $21 million by way of final week. Crockett has raised almost $8.6 million, although the bulk was transferred from her Home marketing campaign account after she entered the race in December, three months after Talarico.
Supporters of major candidate for U.S. Senate Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, smiles at supporters throughout a marketing campaign occasion in Richardson, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Picture/LM Otero)
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Supporters of major candidate for U.S. Senate Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, smiles at supporters throughout a marketing campaign occasion in Richardson, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Picture/LM Otero)
Crockett has positioned herself as the larger fighter, and the tone of Talarico’s final advert contrasts with appeals he’s made to disaffected Republicans by discussing his Christian religion.
“We will rework this damaged political system,” Talarico stated throughout a rally Tuesday in Tyler in northeastern Texas, an space President Donald Trump carried by a large margin in 2024.
Democrats haven’t received a Senate race in Texas since 1988, however Cornyn is going through the race of his profession within the major in opposition to Texas Lawyer Normal Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.
The majority of the spending in Texas, greater than $75 million, has come from teams not tied to the candidates, in accordance with AdImpact.
The overwhelming majority of that’s on the Republican aspect, with the spending by teams serving to Cornyn’s bid for a fifth time period approaching $57 million to this point. The professional-Cornyn Texans for a Conservative Majority has dropped greater than $22 million on anti-Hunt advertisements.
Cornyn’s official marketing campaign committee has raised greater than $11 million and two different teams bearing his identify have spent one other $10 million serving to him.
Republicans count on Paxton to at the very least make a Could 26 runoff, regardless of a low-key marketing campaign till not too long ago and years of authorized issues.
Cornyn and the Senate’s GOP leaders fear that Republicans should spend tens of hundreds of thousands of extra {dollars} to maintain the Texas seat if Paxton is the nominee.
“It’s a robust chance we can’t maintain Texas if John Cornyn will not be our nominee,” GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina stated Wednesday on “Fox & Associates.”
Different Republicans disagree. Paxton was in Washington on Tuesday, attending President Donald Trump’s State of the Union handle because the visitor of Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls.
Paxton to this point has raised about $6 million for his marketing campaign, and Hunt, about $2 million, although he had about $3 million in his Home marketing campaign account when he entered the Senate race in October, in accordance with studies filed with the Federal Election Fee.
However the Republican candidates’ collective marketing campaign fundraising of $19 million doesn’t match what Talarico’s marketing campaign has raised by itself, suggesting that outdoors teams will likely be essential to serving to the GOP retain the seat.
Talarico bought a monetary increase this month when his marketing campaign stated it raised $2.5 million within the 24 hours after late-night host Stephen Colbert pulled an interview with him for his nightly Feb. 16 broadcast, citing the calls for of CBS attorneys. Contributions of lower than $1,000 at that time don’t must be reported till after the first.
Crockett not too long ago instructed supporters throughout a marketing campaign cease that when she ran for the Texas Home in 2020 — two years earlier than profitable her Dallas-area seat in Congress — she was outspent 5-to-1.
“Folks stated, ‘There’s no manner she’s going to win,’” Crockett stated, tearing up. “I present up, authentically me. That makes some folks cringe, however the individuals are bored with politics as standard.”
Related Press journalist Invoice Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
