AUSTIN (April 27, 2009)--A new report shows that a record number of Texas political action committees spent about $120 million in the 2008 election cycle, which is up 21 percent from the preceding two-year election period.

Texas political action committee spending for the 2006 election cycle was $99 million, according to the report Monday by the nonprofit Texans for Public Justice, which tracks money in politics.

The Texas Democratic Trust, funded heavily by plaintiff lawyer money, and Texas Democratic Party spent close to $6 million each in the 2008 cycle, increasing their combined spending 211 percent to become the two largest political committees in Texas, the report said.

The organization based its findings on disclosure reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.