DALLAS — The ad blanketing North Texas airwaves claims a Republican primary candidate is weak on border security -- but the organization that paid for the 30-second spot makes clear candidates who oppose school vouchers are its targets.
It is just one example of how school financing has become a major issue in Tuesday's primary election, even if it is not explicitly on the ballot -- and polls as lower interest than other topics.
"School finance is not on the ballot this election even though the people who are going to be on the ballot are going to be making that determination," explained Monty Exter, the Director of Government Relations for the Association of Texas Professional Educators.
"With regard to selecting who is going to be in the state legislature, 90 plus percent of those decision will be made tomorrow – not in November," he said.
Individual districts are getting involved too.
Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing half a dozen school districts claiming they're illegally trying to influence primary races. The latest -- Aledo ISD west of Fort Worth -- fired back over the weekend.
"To suggest that our public school budget is not impacted by this primary election - the primary election through which those who make decisions for funding for public schools will be elected - certainly seems less than transparent to us," the district said in a statement posted online.
It says the superintendent's email about the district budget shortfall and urging families to vote does not break the law.
Denton ISD, also facing a lawsuit from Paxton, said the election Tuesday is "especially significant for public education" in its response to the suit.
Exter from the teacher's association agrees.
"This is probably the most important, certainly in a long time election for public education in Texas history," he said.