Political ads · 2026 · TX

Texas House District 9 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them

Leticia Gutierrez won · 57.5% to 42.5% · Called by AP on Nov 4

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Leticia Gutierrez (Democrat) and Alex Mealer (Republican) are the nominees for Texas's 9th congressional district in the November 3, 2026 general election. By their latest FEC reports, Leticia Gutierrez's campaign had raised $215,000 (through October 14, 2026) and Alex Mealer's campaign $2.8 million (through October 14, 2026). Outside groups have reported $320,000 for Leticia Gutierrez and $1.3 million against; $6.5 million for Alex Mealer and $362,000 against.

Leticia Gutierrez (DEM), Alex Mealer (REP). 11 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.

Leticia Gutierrez (DEM)

Raised: $215K through 2026-10-14 individuals $214K · PACs $0 · candidate's own money, incl. loans $500 · cash on hand $111K
Outside spending: $1.3M opposing Gutierrez · $320K supporting Gutierrez · latest reported 2026-10-28
Largest outside spenders: NO GOING BACK PAC INC. — $844K opposing Gutierrez CLUB FOR GROWTH ACTION — $264K opposing Gutierrez Largest donors: Jeff Yass $16.5M (34%), SIG, Managing Director; RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $15.0M (30%); MARSHA FOR SENATE $4.8M (10%); RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $2.5M (5%); RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $2.5M (5%) (its largest donors: Richard E Uihlein $57.7M, Uline; RESTORATION OF AMERICA $1.7M, an organization; AMERICAN LEADERSHIP PAC $1.0M) AB PAC — $220K supporting Gutierrez Largest donors: AB FOUNDATION $13.0M (30%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); DEMOCRACY MATTERS $5.6M (13%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); Deborah Simon $5.0M (11%), Retired; DEMOCRACY PAC $4.0M (9%); Lynn S Stern $1.0M (2%), Self Employed, Photographer AMERICAN LIBERTY FOUNDATION — $121K opposing Gutierrez Largest donors: AMERICAN LIBERTY ACTION FUND $355K (26%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); VOICE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL $250K (18%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); THE GEO GROUP, INC. PAC $250K (18%); THE 2026 VICTORY COMMITTEE $148K (11%) (its largest donors: ANDREWS, GEORGE $409K); Phillip Frost $100K (7%), Opko Health INC, CEO MIJENTE PAC — $95K supporting Gutierrez and 4 more

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

All filings at the FEC ↗

Alex Mealer (REP)

Raised: $2.8M through 2026-10-14 individuals $2.0M · PACs $478K · candidate's own money, incl. loans $4,850 · from the candidate's other committees $326K · cash on hand $201K
Outside spending: $362K opposing Mealer · $6.5M supporting Mealer · latest reported 2026-10-28
Largest outside spenders: CLUB FOR GROWTH ACTION — $1.1M supporting Mealer Largest donors: Jeff Yass $16.5M (34%), SIG, Managing Director; RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $15.0M (30%); MARSHA FOR SENATE $4.8M (10%); RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $2.5M (5%); RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $2.5M (5%) (its largest donors: Richard E Uihlein $57.7M, Uline; RESTORATION OF AMERICA $1.7M, an organization; AMERICAN LEADERSHIP PAC $1.0M) DEFENDING OUR VALUES PAC — $905K supporting Mealer Largest donors: PUBLIC FIRST ACTION, INC $4.9M (59%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); PUBLIC FIRST ACTION $3.0M (36%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); PUBLIC FIRST $300K (4%); Jan Leike $100K (1%), Anthropic, Researcher VETERANS DUTY FUND — $750K supporting Mealer Largest donors: David Modesett $675K (53%), Vega Energy Holdings, President; CHAPOTE RANCH OF HOUSTON, LLC $150K (12%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); Jeffery D Hildebrand $125K (10%), Hilcorp Energy Company, Chairman; SKM CLIMBING ARROW LLC $100K (8%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC) WFW ACTION FUND INC — $638K supporting Mealer 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 WIN IT BACK PAC — $616K supporting Mealer Largest donors: CLUB FOR GROWTH ACTION $4.5M (40%); Jeff Yass $4.5M (39%), SIG, Managing Director; SCHOOL FREEDOM FUND $1.9M (17%); William H Roj $300K (3%), Retired; Ricky Sandler $100K (1%), Eminence Capital and 17 more

Bundled through PACs: $39K through 2 PACs · FEC bulk data of 2026-11-01 SENATE CONSERVATIVES FUND — $20K from 21 gifts CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC — $18K from 16 gifts

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

31 DAYS PAC $10K
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
AMERICA'S FIRST PAC $5,000
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL PAC $4,000
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION PAC $2,000
AMERICAN REVIVAL PAC $5,000
ANN PAC $1,000
ARKEMA INC PAC $1,000
BIG IDEAS CREATE EXCELLENCE PAC $1,000
BUCKEYE LIBERTY PAC $15K
BUILDING RENEWAL IN AMERICA NOW PAC $7,500
CHARTER SCHOOLS ACTION PAC $1,000
CROSSPARTISAN PAC II $5,000
CUT THE BULL PAC $2,000
ELECTING MAJORITY MAKING EFFECTIVE REPUBLICANS PAC $10K
ELECTING REPUBLICANS INDIANA PAC $1,500
EMMER FOR CONGRESS $4,000
FIRST IN FREEDOM PAC $5,000
FOREVER YOUTH ORGANIZATION UTILIZING A NEW GENERATION PAC $2,500
FREEDOM FIRST PAC $1,000
GAINES FOR CONGRESS $1,000
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING FOR BETTER ELECTION RESULTS PAC $2,000
GUARDING OUR LASTING DEMOCRACY (GOLD) PAC $2,500
GULF STATES TOYOTA INC FEDERAL PAC $2,500
HALLIBURTON COMPANY PAC $2,500
HF SINCLAIR PAC (DINO PAC) $1,000
HISPANIC LEADERSHIP TRUST $15K
HONOR COURAGE COMMITMENT PAC $5,000
HOUSTON PILOTS PAC $9,000
INDEPENDENT BANKERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS FEDERAL PAC (IBAT FEDPAC) $1,500
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE COMMITTEE FOR IMPROVEMENT AND BETTERMENT OF THE COUNTRY $2,500
JIM JORDAN FOR CONGRESS $6,000
KIRBY CORPORATION PAC $2,500
KOCH, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (KOCHPAC) $7,500
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY PAC $3,000
LYONDELL CHEMICAL COMPANY PAC $2,500
MAGGIE'S LIST $5,000
MARCHANT GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND $2,500
MISSOURI TRUTH PAC $2,000
MNM PAC $1,000
NATHANIEL MORAN FOR CONGRESS $2,000
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS RESPONSIBLE DISTRIBUTION PAC $1,000
NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
OLIN CORPORATION GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND (OLIN WINCHESTER GOOD GOVERNMENT FUND) $2,000
PEOPLE PAC (PACCAR INC EMPLOYEES ORGANIZED FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATION PAC) $1,000
PHILLIPS 66 PAC $5,000
RANGER PAC $1,000
REPUBLICANS UNITED TO DEFEND YOU PAC $3,500
RVFPAC $4,500
SCALISE FOR CONGRESS $4,000
SEAFARERS POLITICAL ACTIVITY DONATION - SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NA-AGLIW $3,500
SEAL PAC SUPPORTING ELECTING AMERICAN LEADERS PAC $2,500
SENATE CONSERVATIVES FUND $15K
TARGA RESOURCES CORP. FEDERAL PAC $2,500
TEXANS FOR JODEY ARRINGTON $2,000
TEXAS BANKERS ASSOCIATION-BANKERS PAC $2,500
TEXAS FARM BUREAU AGFUND $4,800
THE EYE OF THE TIGER PAC $10K
THE SURETY & FIDELITY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA PAC $2,500
TRINITY INDUSTRIES EMPLOYEE PAC (SF) INC. $2,000
VALUE IN ELECTING WOMEN PAC $15K
WEBER FOR CONGRESS $2,000
WFW ACTION FUND INC $5,000
WITH HONOR PAC $1,000

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.