Millions of dollars flooding Texas Speaker Dade Phelan's runoff election

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Early voting for the May 28 runoff election in Texas is underway, with millions of dollars flooding into races between incumbent Republicans and their challengers in the Texas House.

This influx of money is particularly notable in the closely-watched race for House Speaker Dade Phelan's seat. The speaker's runoff is emblematic of a power struggle within the Texas Republican Party from the old guard versus the new, representative of a broader fight nationally.

"This is certainly one of the most expensive primary challenges. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the case across the United States and particularly for a runoff," said Emily Sydnor, a politics professor at Southwestern University.

New Tuesday filings from the Texas Ethics Commission show Phelan has raised $3.44 million since Feb. 25. He has also spent $4 million trying to hold on to his seat and has $1.56 million cash on hand.

GOP activist David Covey pushed Phelan into a runoff after the March primary elections and is part of a push from other conservatives who aim to reshape the Texas House. It's a shift that mirrors what is happening in the GOP nationally, as the business-minded establishment faces increasing challenges from more "Trumpian" style Republicans, motivated more by conservative social issues.

In the same period, Covey raised $1.68 million, spent $1.58 million, and has $226,000 left in his war chest.

"I think this has been an interesting pattern sort of over the past year or so maybe even longer in Texas, as the Texas Republican Party tries to figure out sort of what brand of conservatism it wants to espouse," Sydnor said.

Phelan’s top donor in this last fundraising period was the Texas Defense Fund — a PAC supported by a Las Vegas casino group owner Miriam Adelson. His other top donors include the Associated Republicans of Texas campaign fund, and Plano homebuilder Rod Sanders.

Covey's top donors include Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly, the Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC run by West Texas billionaire Tim Dunn, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's campaign.

"If you are trying to push the party in a particular direction, [you] put forth primary challengers that are going to pull issues and the conversation and the actual potential legislation to the right or to the left, and depending on which party we're talking about," Sydnor said about party strategy in primaries.

Early voting continues through Friday with the runoff election set for next Tuesday.