Candidates and political groups are pouring money into Texas’ hotly contested U.S. Senate race at a record pace, partly fueled by Democrat James Talarico’s fundraising and allies of Republican Sen. John Cornyn trying to save his long career.

Heading into Tuesday’s primary elections, the cost of advertising and reserved advertising time had topped $110 million, the most ever for a Senate primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The heavy spending in Texas is a preview of the money that is expected to flood this year’s midterm elections across the U.S. with control of Congress at stake.

kAm%2=2C:4@ 7246D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E6I2D\D6?2E6\C246\4@=:?\2==C65\;2D>:?6\4C@4<6EE\dgch5b42cc2fbb46_`eb___f_fgg664bQm&]$] #6A] y2D>:?6 rC@4<6EEk^2m 7@C E96 s6>@4C2E:4 ?@>:?2E:@? 2?5 @? (65?6D52J =2F?4965 9:D 7:?2= E6=6G:D:@? 25 367@C6 E96 AC:>2CJ] xE 2EE24A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?VD 288C6DD:G6 :>>:8C2E:@? 6?7@C46>6?E E24E:4D[ 56D4C:3:?8 &]$] x>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 rFDE@>D t?7@C46>6?E 2D “D64C6E A@=:46]”k^Am

kAm%2=2C:4@ C6A@CE65 C2:D:?8 >@C6 E92? Sa` >:==:@? E9C@F89 =2DE H66<] rC@4<6EE 92D C2:D65 ?62C=J Sg]e >:==:@?[ E9@F89 E96 >2;@C:EJ H2D EC2?D76CC65 7C@> 96C w@FD6 42>A2:8? 244@F?E 27E6C D96 6?E6C65 E96 C246 😕 s646>36C[ E9C66 >@?E9D 27E6C %2=2C:4@]k^Am

kAmrC@4<6EE 92D A@D:E:@?65 96CD6=7 2D E96 3:886C 7:89E6C[ 2?5 E96 E@?6 @7 %2=2C:4@VD =2DE 25 4@?EC2DED H:E9 2AA62=D 96VD >256 E@ 5:D27764E65 #6AF3=:42?D 3J 5:D4FDD:?8 9:D r9C:DE:2? 72:E9]k^Am

kAm“(6 42? EC2?D7@C> E9:D 3C@<6? A@=:E:42= DJDE6>[” %2=2C:4@ D2:5 5FC:?8 2 C2==J %F6D52J 😕 %J=6C 😕 ?@CE962DE6C? %6I2D[ 2? 2C62 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 42CC:65 3J 2 H:56 >2C8:? 😕 a_ac]k^Am

kAms6>@4C2ED 92G6?VE H@? 2 $6?2E6 C246 😕 %6I2D D:?46 `hgg[ 3FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E6I2D\D6?2E6\C6AF3=:42?D\4@C?J?\A2IE@?\9F?E\_`7`7727g2gh_6b_`f27c_f236d_a6g7Qmr@C?J? 😀 724:?8 E96 C246 @7 9:D 42C66Ck^2m 😕 E96 AC:>2CJ 282:?DE %6I2D pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^<6?\A2IE@?\E6I2D\D6?2E6\;@9?\4@C?J?\e_4bc676cd`cbcaa4d7h77gc5af4`36`Qmz6? !2IE@?k^2m 2?5 &]$] #6A] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D6?2E6\6=64E:@?\a_ae\E6I2D\9F?E\4@C?J?\A2IE@?\cd_66_7_efafb42fd56haeg47hag5_36Qm(6D=6J wF?E]k^2mk^Am

kAm%96 3F=< @7 E96 DA6?5:?8 😕 %6I2D[ >@C6 E92? Sfd >:==:@?[ 92D 4@>6 7C@> 8C@FAD ?@E E:65 E@ E96 42?5:52E6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ p5x>A24E]k^Am

kAm%96 G2DE >2;@C:EJ @7 E92E 😀 @? E96 #6AF3=:42? D:56[ H:E9 E96 DA6?5:?8 3J 8C@FAD 96=A:?8 r@C?J?VD 3:5 7@C 2 7:7E9 E6C> 2AAC@249:?8 Sdf >:==:@? D@ 72C] %96 AC@\r@C?J? %6I2?D 7@C 2 r@?D6CG2E:G6 |2;@C:EJ 92D 5C@AA65 >@C6 E92? Saa >:==:@? @? 2?E:\wF?E 25D]k^Am

kAmr@C?J?VD @77:4:2= 42>A2:8? 4@>>:EE66 92D C2:D65 >@C6 E92? S“ >:==:@? 2?5 EH@ @E96C 8C@FAD 362C:?8 9:D ?2>6 92G6 DA6?E 2?@E96C S`_ >:==:@? 96=A:?8 9:>]k^Am

kAm#6AF3=:42?D 6IA64E !2IE@? E@ 2E =62DE >2<6 2 |2J ae CF?@77[ 56DA:E6 2 =@H\<6J 42>A2:8? F?E:= C646?E=J 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^<6?\A2IE@?\E6I2D\5:G@C46\C6AF3=:42?\D6?2E6\df_bh36bd2hd6h564cg72ec3b_agbdg2QmJ62CD @7 =682= AC@3=6>D]k^2mk^Am

kAmr@C?J? 2?5 E96 $6?2E6VD v~! =6256CD H@CCJ E92E #6AF3=:42?D H:== 92G6 E@ DA6?5 E6?D @7 >:==:@?D @7 255:E:@?2= 5@==2CD E@ <66A E96 %6I2D D62E :7 !2IE@? 😀 E96 ?@>:?66]k^Am

kAm“xE 😀 2 DEC@?8 A@DD:3:=:EJ H6 42??@E 9@=5 %6I2D :7 y@9? r@C?J? 😀 ?@E @FC ?@>:?66[” v~! $6?] %:> $4@EE @7 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 D2:5 (65?6D52J @? “u@I U2>Aj uC:6?5D]”k^Am

kAm~E96C #6AF3=:42?D 5:D28C66] !2IE@? H2D 😕 (2D9:?8E@? @? %F6D52J[ 2EE6?5:?8 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD $E2E6 @7 E96 &?:@? 255C6DD 2D E96 8F6DE @7 %6I2D #6AF3=:42? #6A] %C@J }69=D]k^Am

kAm!2IE@? D@ 72C 92D C2:D65 23@FE Se >:==:@? 7@C 9:D 42>A2:8?[ 2?5 wF?E[ 23@FE Sa >:==:@?[ E9@F89 96 925 23@FE Sb >:==:@? 😕 9:D w@FD6 42>A2:8? 244@F?E H96? 96 6?E6C65 E96 $6?2E6 C246 😕 ~4E@36C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ C6A@CED 7:=65 H:E9 E96 u656C2= t=64E:@? r@>>:DD:@?]k^Am

kAmqFE E96 #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6DV 4@==64E:G6 42>A2:8? 7F?5C2:D:?8 @7 S`h >:==:@? 5@6D?VE >2E49 H92E %2=2C:4@VD 42>A2:8? 92D C2:D65 @? :ED @H?[ DF886DE:?8 E92E @FED:56 8C@FAD H:== 36 4CF4:2= E@ 96=A:?8 E96 v~! C6E2:? E96 D62E]k^Am

kAm%2=2C:4@ 8@E 2 7:?2?4:2= 3@@DE E9:D >@?E9 H96? 9:D 42>A2:8? D2:5 :E C2:D65 Sa]d >:==:@? 😕 E96 ac 9@FCD 27E6C =2E6\?:89E 9@DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4@=36CE\E2=2C:4@\4C@4<6EE\D6?2E6\E6I2D\ECF>A\“bd4ga`2646`2`_ab4cgafa557_6g4bQm$E6A96? r@=36CE AF==65 2? :?E6CG:6Hk^2m H:E9 9:> 7@C 9:D ?:89E=J u63] `e 3C@2542DE[ 4:E:?8 E96 56>2?5D @7 rq$ =2HJ6CD] r@?EC:3FE:@?D @7 =6DD E92? S`[___ 2E E92E A@:?E 5@?VE 92G6 E@ 36 C6A@CE65 F?E:= 27E6C E96 AC:>2CJ]k^Am

kAmrC@4<6EE C646?E=J E@=5 DFAA@CE6CD 5FC:?8 2 42>A2:8? DE@A E92E H96? D96 C2? 7@C E96 %6I2D w@FD6 😕 a_a_ — EH@ J62CD 367@C6 H:??:?8 96C s2==2D\2C62 D62E 😕 r@?8C6DD — D96 H2D @FEDA6?E d\E@\`]k^Am

kAm“!6@A=6 D2:5[ ‘%96C6’D ?@ H2J D96VD 8@:?8 E@ H:?[VQ rC@4<6EE D2:5[ E62C:?8 FA] “x D9@H FA[ 2FE96?E:42==J >6] %92E >2<6D D@>6 A6@A=6 4C:?86[ 3FE E96 A6@A=6 2C6 E:C65 @7 A@=:E:4D 2D FDF2=]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD ;@FC?2=:DE q:== q2CC@H 😕 pE=2?E2 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.