Political ads · 2026 · TX

Texas House District 5 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Lance Gooden won · 51.5% to 48.5% · Called by AP on Nov 4

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Lance Gooden (Republican) and Chelsey Hockett (Democrat) are the nominees for Texas's 5th congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. Lance Gooden is the incumbent. By their latest FEC reports, Lance Gooden's campaign had raised $1.5 million (through October 14, 2026) and Chelsey Hockett's campaign $57,000 (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $10,000 for Lance Gooden and $0 against.

Lance Gooden (REP, incumbent), Chelsey Hockett (DEM). 3 others filed with the FEC; any ads they ran are below. 0 ads analyzed, 0 with at least one technique in the copy. Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing.

Voting in Austin? 10 local ballot measures → The ballot wording read for rhetorical techniques, and who is paying for and against each.

How to vote in Texas

From Texas's official election office. Each line links to the official page it came from.

Registration	Register by Mon, Oct 5 (30th day before Election Day, moved to the next business day. Mailed applications must be postmarked by the deadline. New registrations are on paper; online is only for updating an existing record.) (passed)Source: votetexas.gov ↗
Early voting in person	Mon, Oct 19 to Fri, Oct 30 (passed)Source: sos.state.tx.us ↗
By mail	Mail voting needs a reason the state accepts (Only these voters qualify: away from the county, sick or disabled, expecting to give birth within 3 weeks of Election Day, 65 or older, or confined in jail or involuntary civil commitment); request a ballot by Fri, Oct 23 (Must be received by this date; a postmark does not count); return it by Tue, Nov 3 (Received by 7 pm on Election Day, or postmarked by 7 pm on Election Day and received by 5 pm on Nov 4) (passed)Source: sos.state.tx.us ↗Source: votetexas.gov ↗
Election Day	Tue, Nov 3. Polls: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (passed)Source: votetexas.gov ↗
ID at the polls	One of 7 acceptable photo IDs. A voter who cannot reasonably get one may sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and show supporting ID instead.Source: votetexas.gov ↗

Check your registration and polling place ↗ Texas's official election site ↗

Checked October 6, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with the official site before you go.

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Money in this race

From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.

Lance Gooden (REP, incumbent)

Raised: $1.5M through 2026-10-14 individuals $435K · PACs $632K · from the candidate's other committees $410K · cash on hand $1.3M
Outside spending: $10K supporting Gooden · latest reported 2026-10-14
Largest outside spenders: NRA VICTORY FUND, INC. — $10K supporting Gooden TEXAS ALLIANCE FOR LIFE FED PAC — $54 supporting Gooden

Bundled through PACs: none reported · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01

144 PACs gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election

AEVEX HOLDING LLC $2,500
AGSHF CIVIC ACTION COMM. $750
AIPAC $22K
AMALGAMATED SUGAR COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
AMERICA RELOADED $5,000
AMERICA'S ELECTRIC COOP $1,000
AMERICA'S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE PAC - OKLAHOMA $1,000
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE $1,500
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL INC $1,000
AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,000
AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,500
AMERICAN REVIVAL PAC $5,000
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS $1,500
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS $1,500
AMERICAN SUGAR CANE LEAGUE $5,500
AMGEN INC. $1,000
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION PAC $5,000
ARDA-ROC $10K
ASCAP LEGISLATIVE FUND FOR THE ARTS $1,500
ASSOC. OF EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS $2,500
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS INC. $1,000
ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTORS $1,500
ASSOCIATION OF EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS (AEM) $1,000
ATMOS ENERGY $3,500
BAE SYSTEMS USA $6,500
BEEF-PAC (BEEF POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OF TEXAS CATTLE FEEDERS ASSOCIATION) $2,000
BHFS-E, PC PAC (BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE) $1,000
BLACKRIDGE $5,000
BLACKROCK FUNDS SERVICES GROUP LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BLACKROCK PAC) $2,000
BMI POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (BMI PAC) $4,000
BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY RAILPAC (BNSF RAILPAC) $5,000
BROOKSHIRE GROCERY COMPANY PAC $5,000
BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS & TRAINMEN PAC FUND $5,000
BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK $1,000
BUCKEYE LIBERTY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
BUILD PAC $4,000
CATERPILLAR EMPLOYEES PAC $2,500
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
COMCAST CORPORATION & NBCUNIVERSAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE - FEDERAL $2,500
COMM. FOR ADVANCEMENT OF COTTON $2,500
COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS $2,500
CUBIC CORPORATION EMPLOYEES $2,500
DEFENDING THE AMERICAN DREAM PAC $5,000
DELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
DEMOCRACY ENGINE, LLC $6,240
DOUBLE L PAC $5,000
ELECTING MAJORITY MAKING EFFECTIVE REPUBLICANS PAC $5,000
EMBRAER AIRCRAFT HOLDING, INC. - EVE HOLDING, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (?EMBRAER-EV $2,000
EMMER FOR CONGRESS $2,000
EMPLOYEES OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION PAC $5,000
EMPLOYEES OF RTX CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
ENERGY MARKETERS OF AMERICA SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE PAC (EMA SBC PAC) $2,500
FIGHT ON PAC $5,000
FIRSTCASH, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
FLORIDA SUGAR CANE LEAGUE PAC $1,000
FMI FOODPAC $6,000
FUSE INTEGRATION MISSION FIRST $2,500
GENERAL ATOMICS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $7,500
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (GENERAL DYNAMICS EMPLOYEE PAC) $5,500
GOODEN PAC $10K
GOODEN VICTORY FUND $7,000
GRANITE CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYEE $1,000
GRIDIRON $7,500
GULF STATES TOYOTA $5,000
HDA $1,000
HELLFIRE $2,500
HOUSE CONSERVATIVES FUND $2,000
IMMIGRANT INVESTORS ASSOCIATION, INC./INVEST IN THE USA PAC (IIUSA PAC) $5,000
INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF AMERICA, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (INSURP $2,500
INTERNATIONAL ASSOC. OF FIRE FIGHTERS $2,500
INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE, ASSOC. FRANCHISING $2,500
INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (INTA PAC) $2,500
JBS USA FOOD COMPANY PAC $5,500
JIM JORDAN FOR CONGRESS $2,000
JUSTICE, FREEDOM & LIBERTY $2,000
KENT HANCE BUSINESS $1,000
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. PAC $7,000
LASTING INVESTMENTS STRENGTHENING AMERICA $5,000
LEIDOS INC. $4,000
LEONARDO DRS $6,000
LOCKHEED MARTIN $4,000
METROPOLITAN ANESTHESIA CONSULTANTS $5,000
MICROSOFT CORPORATION STAKEHOLDERS VOLUNTARY PAC - MSVPAC $5,000
MINN-DAK FARMERS COOPERATIVE SUGAR PAC $1,000
MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $4,000
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (PIAPAC) $2,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS $5,000
NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $7,500
NATIONAL COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS ASSOC. $1,000
NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION GROCERS PAC $2,500
NATIONAL MUSIC PUBLISHERS' ASSOCIATION, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NMPAC) $1,000
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION RETAILPAC $2,000
NATL. ASSOC. OF CONVENIENT STORES $5,000
NEWS CORP $1,000
NFIB $1,000
NFIB $2,000
NMHC $5,000
NRA VICTORY FUND, INC. $1,000
NRA-POLITICAL VICTORY FUND $1,000
NSSF PAC $2,000
ON WISCONSIN PAC, INC. $10K
OVER THE TARGET PAC $3,500
REPUBLICANS UNITED TO DEFEND YOU PAC $1,000
RETAIL INDUSTRY LEADERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AKA RETAIL LEADERS PAC $2,000
RUDY FOR INDIANA $4,000
SCALISE FOR CONGRESS $4,000
SCONNIE PAC $1,000
SENIORS HOUSING $1,000
SIERRA NEVADA COMPANY, LLC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,000
SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT INC PAC $1,000
SPACE COAST LEADERSHIP PAC $5,000
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP. $5,000
START RISING PAC $10K
TARGET CORPORATION CITIZENS POLITICAL FORUM (TARGETCITIZENS POLITICAL FORUM) $5,000
TEXANS FOR LAMAR SMITH $1,000
TEXAS FARM BUREAU AGFUND $4,800
THE BOEING COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $3,000
THE EYE OF THE TIGER $10K
THE GEO GROUP, INC. $2,000
THE GOOD FUND $500
THE HOME DEPOT INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $7,500
THE KROGER CO. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
THE NEW HOUSE $5,000
TIMBERLINE PAC $3,500
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TOYOTA/LEXUS PAC) $5,000
TRACTOR SUPPLY $6,000
UNITED POSTMASTERS AND MANAGERS OF AMERICA POLITICAL FUND $1,500
UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP EMPLOYEE ACTION FUND $1,000
US ONCOLOGY NETWORK $1,500
USA RICE FEDERATION PAC $1,000
VALERO $5,000
VARDA SPACE INDUSTRIES $1,000
VENABLE PAC (VEN-PAC) $1,000
VITORIA PAC $10K
VULCAN MATERIALS CO. $1,000
WALMART INC. PAC FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT $5,500
WALPAC FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVT. (WALMART INC.) $1,000
WAYNE FARMS LLC $3,000
WESTERN PEANUT GROWERS $1,000
WESTERN SUGAR COOP. $1,000

All filings at the FEC ↗

Chelsey Hockett (DEM)

Raised: $57K through 2026-10-14 individuals $57K · PACs $0 · cash on hand $27K
Outside spending: none reported

Bundled through PACs: none reported · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01

All filings at the FEC ↗

No campaign ads analyzed for this race yet.

What this page is

An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it comes from a national Senate group and ran mostly in TX; or it ran mostly in TX and names a candidate — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific rhetorical move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. Running a check and seeing its verdicts are part of Semblen Pro, because each check costs money to run; anyone can see which claims an ad makes. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.