Campaign Context: Record ad spending in Phelan runoff

As campaign season continues, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise, we’re launching Campaign Context, a series providing clarity on the messages you’re hearing from candidates on the campaign trail. We’re digging past the politics and into the facts to provide you with the transparent, spin-free information you need to make informed decisions this election season.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — New numbers show record-breaking spending in the upcoming Republican runoff election between embattled Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, and his challenger David Covey.

According to advertising analytics firm AdImpact, a total of $6.9 million had been spent on political advertising as of Thursday, making the race for Texas House District 21 the most expensive in state history.

AdImpact said $3.5 million was spent on ads supporting Phelan, $1.6 million on ads supporting Covey, and $1.8 million on anti-Phelan ads.

"We source these spend figures directly from the broadcasters, verifying these totals through a combination of agency relationships (those placing these buys), FCC Public File scraping, and ad tracking," said John Link, vice president of data for AdImpact.

District 21 is in southeast Texas, near the Louisiana state line. It includes portions of Jefferson County and all of Jasper and Orange counties.

If all voters who cast ballots in the March primary (33,675, according to county records) turn out again for the runoff election, the $6.9 million spent on the race would amount to roughly $205 per voter.

Phelan is looking to keep his seat and fend off attacks from within his own party following last year's House impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, the non-passage of Governor Abbott's "school choice" plan in the last legislative session, and Phelan's appointment of a handful of Democrats to chair committees.

Covey —who bills himself as a "political outsider" on his campaign website— has the backing of Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and former President Donald Trump. Covey has also received reinforcement from the influential national conservative PAC the Club for Growth which announced in March it would spend roughly $900,000 in ads targeting Phelan.

Election Day is May 28th.