The Republican primary in Texas House District 121 is no longer a sleepy northside contest. The race between incumbent Marc LaHood and challenger David McArthur has already cleared $1 million in spending, turning a usually low‑drama seat into one of Bexar County’s priciest local fights.
Campaign finance filings show LaHood reported nearly $988,000 in spending for the July 1 through Dec. 31, 2025 semiannual period, while McArthur reported about $573,000 in the same stretch. According to the San Antonio Report, those totals, along with the outside ad buys wrapped around them, have reshaped what had been a routine northside GOP primary. HD 121 alone drew roughly $1.3 million in the second half of 2025, a far larger share than most Bexar County legislative races.
Big PACs Fuel The Fight
Texans for Lawsuit Reform’s political arm jumped in early on McArthur’s side, rolling out TV ads that accuse LaHood of siding with trial‑lawyer interests and making its support official with an endorsement. In a press release, the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC laid out its case for backing the challenger, and McArthur’s semiannual report reflects committee contributions and in‑kind activity tied to that outside spending. That blend of coordinated advertising and direct committee support has been central to the contest’s steep price tag, as seen in McArthur’s filing on the Texas Ethics Commission site.
Outside Defenders
LaHood is not exactly going it alone either. Pro‑LaHood groups and newer advocacy outfits have scrambled to defend the first‑term incumbent, airing ads that say he stood up to big insurers and trucking interests. One of those organizations, the Citizens for Integrity and Accountability Foundation, has run pro‑LaHood messaging and is profiled on InfluenceWatch, which details the group’s formation and ad campaigns. The result is a crowded field of outside spenders, each pushing its own version of what the Republican primary should be about.
Why The Fight Escalated
The proxy war traces back to a late‑session clash over bills aimed at limiting certain civil awards. The San Antonio Report notes that LaHood walked out of a committee meeting to kill those measures, a move that angered Texans for Lawsuit Reform and helped trigger the current ad barrage. Once the big outside players moved in, the district suddenly saw far more TV spots and mail pieces than is typical for a first‑term incumbent’s primary. HD 121 has effectively become an early proxy fight between business‑aligned networks and trial‑lawyer‑aligned PACs.
What's Next
Voters are set to weigh in on March 3, 2026, the date listed on the state’s official election law calendar. The Republican winner will face Democrat Zack Dunn in November, according to coverage from Texas Public Radio.
LaHood’s semiannual filing lists roughly $988,000 in reported spending along with $18,444.80 in paid support from the Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC, while McArthur’s filing reflects the committee‑backed ad buys that boosted his totals. Both reports are available through the Texas Ethics Commission. The March 3 primary law calendar itself is published by the Texas Secretary of State.
Whatever happens on primary day, the cash pouring into HD 121 has already raised the stakes in a district that usually leans Republican. Northside voters will now have to sort through a barrage of well‑funded outside messaging alongside the candidates’ own pitches as early voting gets underway.
