Candidates Make Final Moves Across Texas

With less than a month until Election Day, candidates across Texas are taking their last steps until they meet the lone star electorate. Many recent polls are showing tight races for statewide office, with some even favoring Democrats.

On Monday, October 5 (which is also the last day to register to vote in Texas), Attorney General candidate Nathan Johnson released a general election ad: a seven-figure buy that will run statewide until Election Day. Johnson’s ad contrasts his approach to the office from his Republican opponent Mayes Middleton, who has said the 2020 election was stolen and is supported by Ken Paxton.

“Take the politics out and the office starts working again,” says Johnson in his ad. “No political favors, no special treatment, no pay to play, just a lawyer doing the job for 31 million Texans.”

Johnson’s ad will join a rotation of political advertisements that have been bombarding Texans in the final weeks of the election. Middleton, with the backing of the Republican Attorney Generals Association, recently unveiled his own ad touting his time in the Texas legislature. The ad in Texas is part of a political fund spending $7 million across 13 states on both digital and television platforms.

On Sunday, many national viewers of NFL games saw a plethora of commercials for Ken Paxton, the current Attorney General now running for Senate. In the last few weeks, Paxton has received upwards of $130 million in PAC funding to bolster his campaign in Texas. Throughout the campaign, the former AG trailed James Talarico badly in political fundraising.

This week, an ad from Texas PAC showed Angela Paxton, a state senator and the estranged wife of Ken Paxton, calling on Texas voters to vote for Republicans. Angela Paxton does not mention Ken Paxton by name. The Talarico campaign released their own statement about Angela Paxton’s ad. “Asking Texans to close their eyes and vote for a political party instead of the best person for the job is exactly what’s wrong with today’s politics.”

The deluge of ads comes as polls from all over the spectrum show Democrats leading several races, including the Senate and even Governor. While a Democrat has not held statewide office in Texas in decades, many political insiders think 2026 may be different. 

The first day of early voting in Texas is Monday, October 19 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.