Overview

• New FEC filings show Cornyn reporting $3.36 million in third‑quarter receipts across his campaign and joint fundraising committees, including $910,000 directly to his campaign, for about $6 million cash on hand to Paxton’s roughly $3.1–$3.2 million.
• Paxton reported $1.3 million raised in his campaign account and accused Cornyn of inflating totals by counting joint fundraising money that may not be transferable under contribution limits.
• Cornyn’s joint fundraising committees spent more than $660,000 in the quarter and can fund television ads framed as fundraising appeals, giving him a spending advantage.
• Recent entrant Wesley Hunt raised about $366,000 last quarter and reports just over $1.5 million in his campaign account.
• A University of Houston–Texas Southern poll puts Paxton at 34%, Cornyn at 33%, and Hunt at 22%, and analysts say the split field is likely to force a runoff after the March 3 primary, with a Dec. 8 filing deadline ahead.