The Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton has turned into one of the most expensive contests in the country. Talarico, once considered a long shot, raised a record $64 million last quarter and rallied supporters in San Marcos this week, framing his campaign as a modern-day David versus Goliath. Meanwhile, the GOP’s Senate Leadership Fund has spent more than $124 million on ads promoting Paxton, fueled by a $158 million contribution from Elon Musk.

Talarico has kept his distance from national Democrats, focusing on kitchen-table issues like the cost of living rather than party politics. That strategy got tested when he disappeared from public view for nine days with the flu. Instead of a quiet recovery, the absence fed a wave of false conspiracy theories online, a reminder of how fast a vacuum gets filled in modern campaigns.

With control of the Senate potentially hanging on Texas, voters here will have the final word in just a few weeks. So we want to hear from you: does campaign spending sway your vote, or do you decide based on the candidate’s record? Drop your thoughts in the comments.