Marketplace All-in-One The big money in the Texas primaries
Mar 6, 2026
Blaise Gainey, a Texas politics reporter for KUT and The Texas Newsroom, breaks down the big-money primary fights and what they mean for upcoming runoffs. He highlights why record spending flowed into competitive statewide races. He also explains the Texas Railroad Commission’s surprising role in oil and gas politics and riffs on voter concerns like jobs and affordability.
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Top Races Largely Expected But Runoffs Loom
- Texas primaries mostly followed expectations at the top with Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick winning large shares of GOP votes.
- Several high-profile contests went to runoffs, including competitive attorney general and Senate matchups that narrow the field for November.
Runoffs Shift Electorate And Lower Turnout
- Many statewide contests remain unsettled and runoffs typically have much lower turnout, changing the electorate composition.
- Candidates must re-mobilize the primary electorate 12 weeks later to win runoffs.
Money Versus Base Decides Senate Runoff Dynamics
- Fundraising shaped outcomes: John Cornyn raised far more money and spent heavily per vote compared with Ken Paxton.
- Cornyn's high spending contrasted with Paxton's lower cost per vote, setting a money-versus-base dynamic for the runoff.