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Texas GOP Spends $58M on Anti-Trans Ads This Cycle

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Republican candidates have spent nearly $200 million on anti-trans advertisements this election cycle.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and allies have allocated $58 million to anti-trans ads.
Anti-trans ads are energizing the Republican base in Texas.
Anti-trans ads keep some voters from backing Democrat James Talarico.
Recent surveys show Republicans trail Democrats by seven points in voter enthusiasm and twelve points on the generic ballot.

History

Prop 8, a 2008 California constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, passed with 52 % support after a $20 million campaign led by the LDS Church and Republican allies that together spent over $100 million. Decades later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has devoted $58 million to anti-trans ads, echoing the high-cost cultural-war tactics that once reshaped California’s electorate.

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Prop 8, a 2008 California constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, passed with 52 % support after a $20 million campaign led by the LDS Church and Republican allies that together spent over $100 million. Decades later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has devoted $58 million to anti-trans ads, echoing the high-cost cultural-war tactics that once reshaped California’s electorate.

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