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More than a year's hotel tax, still unspentWho's Funding the 2026 Ballot?
Campaign money shapes who runs, who wins, and whose calls get returned. When 250 donors supply half of all the money in a state of 31 million people, voters deserve to see the ledger.
Read this in the original
This entry provides context and source notes. Its detailed explanation remains in the original build; a separate visual breakdown has not yet been authored here.
- Start with the question and coverage below.
- Open the original to inspect the records, controls and evidence behind the finding.
- Check the source dates and methodology before comparing figures or drawing a conclusion.
What you’re looking at
An editorial scroll through all 1.37 million contributions in the Texas Ethics Commission's July 2026 semiannual filings. The top 100 donors supplied 40.6% of every campaign dollar in Texas; the top 1% supplied 75.5%. Names, amounts, the February pre-primary sprint, and the out-of-state money — annotated chart by chart.
The question behind it
Built from the TEC campaign-finance bulk filings (including the July 15, 2026 semiannual reports) to show, before the November general, how concentrated the money behind the Texas ballot really is.
Why it matters
Campaign money shapes who runs, who wins, and whose calls get returned. When 250 donors supply half of all the money in a state of 31 million people, voters deserve to see the ledger.
Open the full visualizationSources & method
- Texas Ethics Commission campaign-finance bulk filings, contributions received Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2026 (pulled Jul 17, 2026)
Method
All monetary and in-kind contributions above $0 reported to the TEC with received dates Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2026 (1,374,549 contributions to 2,256 filers). Donors grouped by reported name + ZIP — a conservative method that can split name variants, so concentration figures are a floor. Committee-to-committee transfers counted as reported. Analysis via the Balthazar Texas civic graph.