AUSTIN, Texas — A conservative high-profile national group is once again entering the Texas House primaries. This time, Club for Growth is targeting Speaker Dade Phelan, who faces a runoff in May.

The political action committee announced Wednesday it has spent $4 million on an ad buy targeting Phelan and four other GOP incumbents facing runoffs. The other four  — Reps. Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, Justin Holland of Rockwall, John Kuempel of Seguin and DeWayne Burns of Cleburne — voted against private school vouchers, a top priority of Gov. Greg Abbott.

"It's just going to continue," Rep. VanDeaver said of the attack ads during an interview on Capital Tonight Wednesday. "It was tough during the primary. A lot of the ads, I felt, were kind of below the belt and out of bounds. But that's just where we are today in Texas politics, unfortunately. So I expect that to continue, and maybe even ramp up, and maybe even get a little worse." 

During the first round of primary voting last month, six anti-voucher Republicans who sought reelection lost outright. When asked whether he was in a runoff indicates there's more support in his district for vouchers, VanDeaver said vouchers weren't the focus. 

"I think if vouchers were the real issue, that's what all the ads and mail pieces would have been about," he said. "The ads against me did not attack me on vouchers. They attacked me on the border, which is crazy."

The group's first ad calls Phelan "unwaveringly liberal" and a "Democrat in disguise." 

"From failing to support school choice to allowing radical liberal Democrats to chair committees, Speaker Phelan is a certified RINO with a long record, and he will be held accountable by the voters in the runoff," David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth's Super PAC, said in a statement. 

The ad uses part of Phelan's interview on Capital Tonight to attack his record of appointing Democrats as committee chairs. Phelan said he would not waver from that position and defended the tradition as a position that keeps Texas from being like Washington.

Phelan did not comment on the ad. 

Click the video link above to watch our full interview with Rep. VanDeaver.