TEXAS — Money won’t necessarily win you an election, but it helps, especially in a state the size of Texas. This week, we got a look at where things stand in several key Texas races as we hit the homestretch to election day.

In the marquee matchup between Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger, Congressman Colin Allred, Allred outpaced Cruz in the third quarter of the year. Allred raised about $30 million to Cruz’s $21 million.

Meanwhile, some big money is being pumped into Texas House races, including from Elon Musk. The billionaire head of SpaceX and Tesla gave $1 million to a powerful tort reform group backing Republicans in battleground legislative races.

On this week’s “Inside Out” segment, former Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, and former state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, discussed the importance of money in Texas elections. 

Click the video link above to watch the full segment.