North Texas voters have been opening their mailboxes this week to find a steady stream of glossy political ads paid for by a PAC tied to Las Vegas Sands, pulling the long-running fight over legalized gambling straight into the GOP primary season. The pieces, which praise some incumbents, attack others and lift up challengers, have already pushed several candidates to publicly distance themselves from the power players footing the bill.
Casino PAC Steps Up Mail Campaign
According to reporting by Texas Scorecard, two Sands-linked committees, Texas Sands PAC and the Texas Defense PAC, have been dropping mailers into multiple House and Senate districts ahead of the March primary. The flyers are landing in both deeply conservative precincts and more competitive territory, part of a broader push to bolster lawmakers viewed as friendly to gambling interests and to go after those who oppose expanding casino-style gambling in Texas.
Big Money Behind The Push
Campaign finance records show the operation is bankrolled by Miriam Adelson. Transparency USA lists roughly $9.1 million in contributions tied to Texas Sands PAC, and The Texas Tribune has documented additional multimillion-dollar infusions into allied committees and ad buys in recent election cycles.
Which Races Are Targeted
The mail pieces are showing up from Tarrant County to far-flung corners of the state, backing incumbents like Angelia Orr and Stan Kitzman while hammering challengers Kathaleen Wall and Dennis Geesaman. The same committees have gone after incumbents Andy Hopper and David Lowe, and have jumped into the open House District 94 contest by opposing Cheryl Bean while sending money to Jackie Schlegel, according to The Dallas Express.
Candidates Push Back
The outside spending has sparked some pointed pushback. After a Texas Defense PAC mailer surfaced in Senate District 3, State Rep. Trent Ashby responded, “My position is clear: I oppose casino gambling in Texas,” while Brett Ligon in Senate District 4 labeled the group’s outreach “an unwelcome intrusion” and said he rejects the policy the PAC promotes, Texas Scorecard reported.
Why It Matters For Voters
Even with all that cash, wins are not guaranteed. Pro-gambling spending failed to carry a high-profile North Texas special election late last year, underscoring the limits of outside money, The Texas Tribune reported. And Gov. Greg Abbott told CBS News Texas that he is “not there yet” on changing the state constitution to approve resort-style casinos, a sign that legalization still faces a steep political climb.
With Texas’ primary election set for March 3, the casino-backed mail surge is likely to sharpen intraparty fights and give voters another lens on where their would-be representatives stand before they head to the polls. Expect those glossy flyers, and the debates they trigger, to be a recurring topic at town halls and on neighborhood doorsteps in the weeks ahead.
