Outside Cash Floods U.S. House Runoffs in Texas

Political action committees (PACs) are dominating advertising spending in key U.S. House runoff elections in Texas, accounting for 89% of ad expenditures. With less than two weeks until the May 26 vote, outside groups have spent nearly $6 million across seven competitive districts. This surge is driven by traditional political organizations, industry-specific PACs supporting cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence sectors, and mysterious dark money groups. A notable instance involves Lead Left PAC, a group with apparent Republican ties, spending over $340,000 to support Maureen Galindo, a Democratic candidate in the 35th Congressional District who has made antisemitic remarks. Analysts suggest this strategy aims to secure a weaker opponent for the general election in a district recently redrawn to favor Republicans. The heavy reliance on external funding reflects the high stakes for control of the closely divided House of Representatives and the impact of recent GOP-led redistricting, which has created numerous competitive primaries. Candidates with limited personal budgets are increasingly dependent on these deep-pocketed entities to compete against the noise generated by simultaneous high-profile Senate and attorney general races.