Political TV ad sales and reservations for races in Texas have totaled more than $1 billion, according to the Texas Association of Broadcast. The U.S. Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico has drawn the most attention, with over $558 million spent on advertising across the primary, runoff and general election.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 29, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
The sources don't state an effect on taxes. They do state these figures.
TV ad sales and reservations for all Texas racesmore than $1 billion1Who pays or receives it: candidates and political action committees
Total ad spending in U.S. Senate race (May to mid-October)more than $324 million1
Ad spending in U.S. Senate race (primary, runoff and general election combined)about $558 million1
Ad spending by Talarico and supporting PACs in U.S. Senate raceabout $94 million1Who pays or receives it: Talarico and supporting PACs
Ad spending by Paxton and supporting PACs in U.S. Senate raceabout $230 million1Who pays or receives it: Paxton and supporting PACs
Who's involved
Ken PaxtonU.S. Senate candidate
James TalaricoU.S. Senate candidate
Michael SchneiderVice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Texas Association of Broadcast
Dr. Pat FlavinChair of Political Science, Baylor University
The facts
Texas political TV ad sales and reservations have totaled more than $1 billion.1
U.S. Senate race between Paxton and Talarico has drawn the most attention in Texas.1
Total ad spending in Senate race from May to mid-October exceeded $324 million.1
Ad spending in Senate race across primary, runoff and general election reached about $558 million.1
Schneider called it the most expensive non-presidential race in the U.S. in terms of dollars spent.1
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Texas will choose a new attorney general for the first time in more than a decade, as Ken Paxton leaves the office to run for U.S. Senate. Republican Mayes Middleton and Democrat Nathan Johnson are competing for the position.
Ken Paxton, Current Texas attorney general, running for U.S. Senate; Mayes Middleton, Republican candidate for Texas attorney general; Nathan Johnson, Democratic candidate for Texas attorney general
Democrats' main Senate super PAC is privately telling top donors that Texas offers their best shot at flipping a deep-red Senate seat, followed by Ohio. The PAC also sees victories in Iowa and Alaska as within reach.
Senate Majority PAC, Democrats' main Senate super PAC
October 30, 2026 marked the final day of in-person early voting in Texas before the November 3 general election. Early voting locations were open across the state through 8 p.m. Voters in Lubbock County could cast ballots at United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos and other locations.
Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden, announced statewide early voting total; Lubbock County Elections Office, administered early voting
With less than a week until Election Day on November 5, gubernatorial candidates Greg Abbott (Republican) and Gina Hinojosa (Democrat) are campaigning on different affordability plans. Senate candidates Ken Paxton (Republican) and James Talarico (Democrat) are also making final pitches to voters, with the race described as one of the most closely watched and costliest Senate races in history.
$Abbott's affordability plan includes eliminating school property taxes for homeowners and imposing spending limits on local governments to prevent tax increases. Hinojosa proposes taking funds from the state's rainy-day fund to provide household refunds.
Greg Abbott, Governor, Republican gubernatorial candidate; Gina Hinojosa, Democrat gubernatorial candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate and 4 more
Texas voters cast ballots in 2026 midterm elections including a U.S. Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, U.S. House races in redrawn districts, a gubernatorial race, state and local offices, and judges. The Senate race is described as hotly contested and Democrats' best chance in decades to win that seat.
James Talarico, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Texas Attorney General; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic candidate for Texas governor and 3 more
Gov. Greg Abbott held a campaign rally in El Paso on Thursday and issued a state disaster declaration for El Paso County after flash flooding damaged or washed away more than 50 homes.
Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic challenger
Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa is running to unseat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Tuesday's election. If she wins, she would likely face a Republican-controlled Legislature, unlike Abbott's unified government. The last divided state government in Texas occurred in 1995. Hinojosa has stated plans for executive actions on day one, including suspending gas and diesel taxes and freezing electricity rates.
Gina Hinojosa, Democratic state Rep., gubernatorial candidate; Greg Abbott, Republican governor, seeking reelection; Vikki Goodwin, Democratic state Rep., candidate for lieutenant governor and 3 more
As Texas voters prepare for a November 3 midterm election, polls show Democratic state representative James Talarico narrowly ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race, while Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa trails Republican Governor Greg Abbott in the governor's race. Republicans have spent more than $300 million on ads for Paxton compared to $102 million spent for Talarico.
$over $300 million for ad spending for Paxton
James Talarico, Democratic state representative and candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General and candidate for U.S. Senate; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic state representative and candidate for governor and 4 more