The U.S. midterm election cycle officially began today, with several states holding primary elections today. The race for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas has drawn nationwide attention due to its unprecedented "spending" level. Media reports indicate that the campaign ads in this fiercely competitive and intense primary have exceeded $125 million, setting a new record for the highest amount spent in any U.S. Senate primary. In the Republican Party, major donors have been heavily investing to protect the current senator, Cornyn, from being defeated by the state attorney general, Paxton, who is backed by the MAGA faction. However, despite Cornyn and his allies spending about $69 million, far exceeding Paxton's campaign's $4 million, they still struggle to overcome their lag in polls. Trump's delayed endorsement is also seen as a key variable. Due to the late entry of U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt, which could split votes, the Republican primary may not be decided in one round, leading to a second round in mid-May, further increasing costs and making the question of whether the national Republican forces' "spending to save the day" is worth it even more acute. The Democratic primary is also in a tight race. Supporters of state representative Tarico have significantly outspent the campaign of U.S. Representative Crockett in advertising, with about $24.5 million compared to $5 million. The report points out that Tarico's campaign fundraising also exceeds Crockett's by more than twice. Crockett once hoped that a super political action committee would step up efforts and possibly receive financial support from major Democratic donor Kara Yellen-Vestergaard, but the group has largely "gone silent," having only spent about $10 million on ads according to federal records. Yellen-Vestergaard, meanwhile, is accused of mobilizing her social network via email to support Crockett.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1858706844124233/
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