Texas Republicans dominated fundraising efforts across key competitive state House districts in the final weeks leading up to Election Day, amassing over $11 million in the last month alone. In comparison, Democratic candidates in these battleground races raised nearly $3.5 million collectively, placing them at a significant financial disadvantage.
By building their war chests to invest significantly in campaign ads, direct mail, and polling, GOP candidates bolster their defenses for several seats while potentially expanding their majority in the Texas House.
Recent campaign finance reports, covering campaign activities from late September through last Saturday, show that Republican candidates in ten of the twelve competitive districts outraised their Democratic rivals by more than a 3-to-1 margin. Many of these contributions were in-kind, with donors funding campaign functions directly, such as advertisements and mailers. In the border district stretching from El Paso to Eagle Pass, Governor Greg Abbott supported Republican Robert Garza in his bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Eddie Morales, as reported by The Texas Tribune.
Republican efforts are focused on defending seats in North Texas, where state Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, raised over $1.6 million, outpacing her Democratic opponent, Averie Bishop. Similarly, Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-University Park, pulled in more than $1.5 million, significantly surpassing his challenger, Elizabeth Ginsberg. GOP candidates also led in South Texas races, including those for open seats previously held by Democrats Rep. Abel Herrero and Rep. Tracy King, where Republican nominees Denise Villalobos and Don McLaughlin, Jr., consistently outraised their Democratic opponents.
Across the contested districts, nearly 75% of GOP funds came from five major sources, including Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the Texas Defense PAC, the Associated Republicans of Texas, Abbott's own campaign, and House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont.
While Republicans are poised to retain their majority in the Texas House, where they currently hold 86 of 150 seats, Democrats are working to flip enough seats to counter private school voucher policies—a key priority for Abbott. One notable contest is in San Antonio, where former GOP Rep. Steve Allison, ousted by conservative Marc LaHood, has endorsed Democratic candidate Laurel Jordan Swift. Despite this support, LaHood out-raised Swift by nearly $1 million in October.
Republican Trey Martinez Fischer, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, suggested that the sources of Republican fundraising could alienate voters, hinting that big-money contributions might sway voter opinion against the GOP's financial influence.
Nationwide, Republican candidates are seeing a significant influx of funding. Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has provided a seven-figure boost to former President Donald Trump's campaign. This comes just weeks after Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced she has raised over $1 billion since declaring her candidacy in July. Musk confirmed the $75 million donation in a post on X, stating, "The @America PAC is focused on common sense, centrist values."
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