U.S.SPECIAL REPORT
Texas Senate race limps toward finish line, with $500 million spent
The Texas Senate race has already burned through more than five hundred million dollars in combined ad spending, and the Washington Examiner calls it one of the cycle's messiest.
Watch it as it aired: Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock on this story, from BBN This Morning at 7:31 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Washington Examiner's, the jokes are ours.

At a glance
- First reported by Washington Examiner: “Does anyone want to win this race? Talarico and Paxton stumble to finish line in Texas Senate contest”.
- Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 7:31 AM ET on BBN This Morning, by Hank Ledger and Vera Bullock.
- Topics: Texas Senate, Paxton, James Talarico.
- BBN covered this story before: Texas Democratic Party leader on tight Senate race between Talarico… (October 13).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe Washington Examiner says the Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton is stumbling toward the finish, and it asks whether either candidate wants to win.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorOne candidate abruptly disappeared from the campaign trail for more than a week, and the other keeps getting recorded or filmed in embarrassing situations.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd that comes on top of the Breitbart poll we mentioned overnight, which had Paxton ahead by a small margin.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe part that matters for you at home is the money: more than five hundred million dollars in combined ad spending, which is a lot of commercials for a race people describe as messy.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorFive hundred million?

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorYes. The data does not say who disappeared or why, so we will not guess.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe Examiner calls it one of the messiest battlegrounds of the cycle.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorEvery Texan with a television has now seen more of these two than of their own relatives, and the relatives at least bring casseroles.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA campaign where one man vanishes and the other can't stop being filmed. Between them they almost add up to one candidate.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorNow that is a ticket.
More Shorts
All videos →The story so far
- Willie Nelson Backs Talarico in Texas Senate Race · The Washington Times
- On Recording, Paxton Says Cornyn 'Wants Me to Lose' · Newser
- Talarico Returns to Texas Senate Trail After 10-Day Absence · The New York Times
- Talarico explains his flu timeline after nine days off the trail · New York Post
- Ken Paxton Partied in Dubai With Fugitives, WSJ Reports · WSJ
- Texas Democratic Party leader on tight Senate race between Talarico… · CBS News
- Texas Senate race limps toward finish line, with $500 million spent (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months









