Political ads · 2026 · TX

Texas House District 8 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Jessica Hart Steinmann won · 53.2% to 46.8% · Called by AP on Nov 4

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Laura Jones (Democrat) and Jessica Hart Steinmann (Republican) are the nominees for Texas's 8th congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. By their latest FEC reports, Laura Jones's campaign had raised $31,000 (through October 14, 2026) and Jessica Hart Steinmann's campaign $2.4 million (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $1.8 million for Jessica Hart Steinmann and $0 against.

Laura Jones (DEM), Jessica Hart Steinmann (REP). 5 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.

Laura Jones (DEM)

Raised: $31K through 2026-10-14 individuals $28K · PACs $2,625 · party $300 · cash on hand $4,115
Outside spending: none reported

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

1 PAC gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election

TEXAS MAJORITY PAC $2,625

All filings at the FEC ↗

Jessica Hart Steinmann (REP)

Raised: $2.4M through 2026-10-14 individuals $890K · PACs $471K · candidate's own money, incl. loans $650K · from the candidate's other committees $430K · cash on hand $79K
Outside spending: $1.8M supporting Steinmann · latest reported 2026-10-14
Largest outside spenders: DEFEND AMERICAN JOBS — $772K supporting Steinmann Largest donors: FAIRSHAKE $37.0M (>99%) (its largest donors: RIPPLE LABS INC. $48.0M, an organization; COINBASE $25.0M, an organization; COINBASE COMMERCE (EXCHANGE) $8.2M, an organization); RIPPLE LABS INC. $250K (1%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC) AMERICAN MISSION — $511K supporting Steinmann Largest donors: LEADING THE FUTURE $22.5M (99%); LONSDALE ENTERPRISES INC. $250K (1%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC) TRUE TEXAS VALUES PAC — $231K supporting Steinmann Largest donors: Stephen Hart $250K (100%), Sport LLC, Owner WFW ACTION FUND INC — $221K supporting Steinmann Largest donors: Paul E Singer $250K (32%), CO-CEO CO-CIO President, Elliott Investment Management L.p.; GOP WINNING WOMEN 2026 $139K (18%) (its largest donors: BUSCEMA, JOHN $771K; Elizabeth Stern $246K, Retired; Richard W Colburn $236K, Payroll & Insurance Group); Cliff Asness $125K (16%), AQR Capital, Finance; Laurel Asness $125K (16%), Homemaker, Homemaker TURNING POINT PAC INC. — $8,820 supporting Steinmann Largest donors: TURNING POINT ACTION INC $16.9M (73%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); Larry Smead $1.2M (5%), Sasco, CEO; Robert Marling $100K (0%), Woodforest National Bank, CEO and 3 more

Bundled through PACs: $500 through 1 PAC · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01 AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC/PAC) — $500 from 1 gift Lobbyist/registrant PAC

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

A NEW NATION PAC $1,000
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
ALABAMA FIRST PAC $5,000
ALLIANCE FOR PHARMACY COMPOUNDING PAC (COMP PAC) $1,000
AMANDA MCKINNEY FOR WASHINGTON $1,000
AMERICA'S CREDIT UNIONS PAC OF CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIA $5,000
AMERICA'S FIRST PAC $5,000
AMERICAN GRIT PAC $2,500
AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION POLITICAL A $2,500
AMERICAN REVIVAL PAC $10K
AMERICAN SECURITY PAC $2,500
BIG IDEAS CREATE EXCELLENCE PAC $1,000
BRANDON GILL FOR TEXAS $2,000
BUCKEYE LIBERTY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
BUILD POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION $2,500
BUILDING RENEWAL IN AMERICA NOW PAC $2,500
CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
CHEVRON EMPLOYEES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE - CHEVRON CORPO $1,000
CUT THE BULL PAC $2,000
DEFENDING THE AMERICAN DREAM PAC $1,000
DOUBLE L PAC $3,000
DRILLERSPAC A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATION $2,500
DUANE MORRIS GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE $1,500
ELECTING MAJORITY MAKING EFFECTIVE REPUBLICANS PAC $10K
ELECTING REPUBLICANS INDIANA PAC $2,000
EMMER FOR CONGRESS $2,000
EMPLOYEES OF QUANTA SERVICES INC. $2,500
EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (EXXONMOB $2,500
FIGHT ON PAC $3,000
FIRST IN FREEDOM PAC $5,000
FIRST IN TEXAS PAC $2,000
GOPAC $5,000
GROWING OUR OWN DYNAMIC ECONOMY NOW $5,000
GUARDING OUR LASTING DEMOCRACY (GOLD) PAC $1,000
GULF STATES TOYOTA INC FEDERAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
HALLIBURTON COMPANY PAC $2,500
HF SINCLAIR POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (DINO PAC) $2,500
HONOR COURAGE COMMITMENT PAC $5,000
INDEPENDENT BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS FEDERAL PAC (IBAT FEDPAC) $1,500
JIM JORDAN FOR CONGRESS $6,000
JOBS FREEDOM AND SECURITY PAC $5,000
JUSTICE FREEDOM & LIBERTY PAC $7,000
KIRBY CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
KOCH INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (KOCHPAC) $7,500
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY PAC $2,000
LASTING INVESTMENTS STRENGTHENING AMERICA PAC $2,500
LEADERSHIP IN SAVING AMERICA (LISA) PAC $2,500
MAGGIE'S LIST $5,000
MARK ALFORD FOR CONGRESS INC. $3,000
MIKE JOHNSON FOR LOUISIANA $2,000
MISSOURI TRUTH PAC $1,000
MOORE FOR WEST VIRGINIA INC. $1,000
MR. SOUTHERN MISSOURIAN IN THE HOUSE PAC $5,000
NATHANIEL MORAN FOR CONGRESS $2,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES POLITICAL ACTION $2,500
NATIONAL COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION - PAC $1,000
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS FEDERAL POLITICA $1,000
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION $2,500
NEW SHERIFF PAC $3,500
OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
PHILLIPS 66 PAC $10K
PLAINS ALL AMERICAN GP LLC PAC $1,000
PROFESSIONAL COMPOUNDING CENTERS OF AMERICA POLITICAL ACTION $250
RAPTOR PAC $5,000
REDSTATE PAC $1,000
REPUBLICANS UNITED TO DEFEND YOU PAC $3,500
ROGER WILLIAMS FOR U S CONGRESS COMMITTEE $1,000
RVFPAC $2,000
SCALISE FOR CONGRESS $2,000
SEAL PAC SUPPORTING ELECTING AMERICAN LEADERS PAC $2,500
SECURING THE REPUBLIC FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION $1,000
TARGA RESOURCES CORP. FEDERAL PAC $2,500
TEXANS FOR JODEY ARRINGTON $2,000
TEXANS FOR MORGAN LUTTRELL $2,000
TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIATION FEDERAL PA $2,500
TEXAS BANKERS ASSOCIATION-BANKERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
TEXAS FARM BUREAU AGFUND $4,800
TEXAS VALUES PAC $5,000
THE EYE OF THE TIGER POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
THE FUND FOR AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM $5,000
THE HOME DEPOT INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
TRANSCANADA USA SERVICES INC. PAC (TC PAC) $1,000
TRINITY INDUSTRIES EMPLOYEE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (SF) $3,000
VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
VALUE IN ELECTING WOMEN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10K
WORKING FOR OHIO $5,000
ZORROPAC $3,500

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.