In session and out, lobbying is by far the biggest source of money in Texas politics. Taxpayers foot a sizable chunk of the bill, accounting for as much as $110 million (over 16 percent of the total reported lobbying money) during the 2020 election cycle time period. Another $70,429,959 (also around 16 percent of the total) has spent using taxpayer dollars in the 2021 so far.

The stakes were particularly high for the 2020 elections, and not just for the presidency. At the state-level, some of the most closely watched races were Democratic efforts to flip swing state legislatures blue and take control of the upcoming redistricting process.

Election Day for the party primary runoffs in Texas is this upcoming Tuesday, July 14. All eyes are on elections for the Texas Legislature this round, because the results of these runoffs could have an outsized impact in November. Although primary elections were held back on March 3rd, 16 of those elections have proceeded to a runoff because no candidate was able to garner at least 50 percent of the vote.