Al Green Faces $4 Million Crypto PAC Spending in Texas Runoff
al green is facing Christian Menefee in a Texas runoff that has drawn more than $4 million from a cryptocurrency super PAC backing Menefee. The spending has made the 18th Congressional District the most expensive House runoff in Texas.
Menefee, who said he has built momentum without corporate PAC money, also criticized Green for taking contributions from corporate PACs. Green, in turn, has focused on the outside spending and the donor network behind his opponent.
Menefee and Green money fight
Menefee said, “We’ve built incredible momentum without taking any corporate PAC dollars.” He added, “At the same time, I believe Citizens United was a mistake and should be overturned, and not a single super PAC should exist.“”
That line puts the runoff on a narrow issue: whether a candidate can run on small donations and still withstand outside spending at the scale now surrounding this race. Menefee reported raising over $2 million in the runoff election and over $850,000 since the special election.
Green donor base in District 18
Green has hauled in $1.4 million since the start of the cycle in January 2025. His donations have come from small individual donors giving less than $200, along with larger four-figure sums.
His bigger-name donors include former Houston Metro chair Carrin Patman, HillCo lobbying firm cofounder Bill Miller and healthcare executive Tahir Javed. Green has also been boosted by PACs for United Airlines and beer wholesaler, credit union and realtor groups, along with various unions.
Menefee after January runoff
Menefee won his current seat in a special election that stretched into a late January runoff. He has also received money from Houston billionaire philanthropist John Arnold and trial lawyer and megadonor Amber Mostyn.
The 18th Congressional District race sits against a larger shift for Green, who is running there after his current seat, District 9, was redrawn to favor Republicans. The runoff now turns on whether the outside spending that lifted Menefee can outweigh Green’s donor mix and the criticism each side has leveled at the other.
