Record Spending, Record Turnout: What Texas and Georgia Voters Are Deciding

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🏛️ Texas Senate: A Record-Breaking Dead Heat

The race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has become the most expensive Senate contest in American history, surpassing $560 million in spending .

The Money
Elon Musk has contributed at least $158 million to a super PAC supporting Paxton, making him the single largest donor in the race . Talarico’s campaign has raised nearly $120 million, drawing from 1.3 million individual contributors .

The Polling
The race is effectively tied. A Fox News poll released October 21 showed both candidates at 49% each among likely voters . A CNN poll from October 29 showed Talarico with a narrow lead . Other October polls showed Talarico ahead by margins ranging from 1 to 6 points .

The Early Vote
More than 6 million Texans had voted early by October 28—in-person turnout running roughly 50% ahead of the same point in 2022 .

The Demographics
The Fox News poll found Talarico leading among Black voters (+65), urban voters (+29), voters under 30 (+28), and women with college degrees (+23). Paxton led among White evangelical Christians (+52), White men without college degrees (+32), rural voters (+21), and voters 65 and older (+18) .

🏛️ Georgia Governor: A Self-Funded Billionaire vs. a Former Mayor

Republican Rick Jackson, a 72-year-old healthcare billionaire, faces Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta .

The Money
Jackson has spent nearly $200 million of his personal fortune on the campaign, placing him among the largest self-funding candidates in U.S. history . In the general election, he has also received $10 million from the Republican Governors Association . Bottoms raised $5.6 million in a comparable period, with $1.6 million from the Democratic Governors Association .

The Background
Jackson’s personal story is central to his campaign. He describes growing up in foster homes and poverty before founding Jackson Healthcare, a medical staffing company generating roughly $3 billion in annual revenue . His campaign slogan is “From foster care to billionaire” .

Bottoms has focused on Jackson’s wealth, repeatedly drawing attention to his 47,000-square-foot mansion with 20 bathrooms . She has framed the race as a choice about direction and leadership .

The Policy Stance
Jackson has pledged to cut the state income tax by half within four years, reduce regulations, and expand healthcare coverage without expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act .

Closing Question: In Texas, a single donor has contributed more than $150 million to one Senate campaign. In Georgia, one candidate has spent nearly $200 million of his own fortune. What does the scale of this spending mean for the relationship between candidates and the voters they seek to represent?

Sources

CNN, “CNN Poll: Talarico holds narrow lead over Paxton in Texas Senate race” (October 29, 2026)

Houston Chronicle, “Elon Musk fuels record-breaking spending in Texas Senate race” (October 27, 2026)

The Hill, “Talarico accuses Musk of buying his ‘own personal U.S. Senator’” (October 21, 2026)

USA Today, “New poll shows deadlocked Texas Senate race as early voting continues” (October 22, 2026)

ORF, “US-Midterms: Neuer Rekord bei vorzeitiger Stimmabgabe” (October 29, 2026)

Channels Television, “Early Voting Hits Record 48 Million US Midterm Election” (October 29, 2026)

The Canadian Press / AP, “Republican billionaire Rick Jackson is walking a Trump tightrope in his quest to lead Georgia” (October 23, 2026)

Outlook India, “Who Is Rick Jackson? Republican Billionaire Running For Georgia Governor” (October 24, 2026)

AJC, “Rick Jackson raises $13 million in outside money for Georgia governor bid” (August 7, 2026)

WRDW, “Campaign finance reports show wide spending gap in Georgia governor’s race” (October 12, 2026)

Savannah Morning News, “Gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson hosts campaign rally in Thunderbolt” (October 29, 2026)