Republican outside groups are pouring tens of millions of dollars into Texas to support Senate nominee Ken Paxton after months in which Democrat James Talarico held a major financial and advertising advantage.
The sudden influx marks a dramatic change in a race where national Republican organizations initially stayed largely on the sidelines despite increasing attention to the traditionally Republican state.
Texas PAC, a new group connected to the Senate Leadership Fund, has begun purchasing tens of millions of dollars in advertising to support Paxton.
The Texas Tribune reported that an initial purchase included roughly $32 million in broadcast television advertising across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin markets.
Punchbowl News separately reported that Texas PAC expects to spend more than $50 million overall in the state.
The Senate Leadership Fund is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and serves as one of the Republican Party’s most important outside organizations in competitive Senate races.
Its entrance comes after President Donald Trump’s political operation and groups associated with Elon Musk also began directing resources toward Paxton.
Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. committed $10 million to Texas advertising supporting Paxton and opposing Talarico, while Musk-funded America PAC has spent more than $2.6 million on voter-contact efforts.
The spending represents a striking turnaround from August, when Talarico had largely dominated Texas television while Republican organizations debated whether and when to intervene.
The Texas Tribune reported on August 20 that Talarico had already spent more than $25 million on advertising since the general-election campaign began while Paxton’s own advertising remained minimal.
Talarico has also maintained a substantial direct fundraising advantage over Paxton.
Federal campaign figures cited by The Washington Post showed Talarico raising more than $60 million through June compared with approximately $9.2 million for Paxton.
Paxton had less than $2 million in campaign cash available at the end of that period, while Talarico reported more than $21 million.
The arrival of outside Republican money substantially changes the advertising environment even though Talarico continues to possess an advantage in money raised directly by his campaign.
AdImpact data cited by the Texas Tribune showed Republican groups with approximately $60.8 million in advertising spending and reservations through the end of September compared with $43.7 million for Democrats under that particular measurement window.
Other reports have produced different ratios because they count different dates, advertising reservations and categories of spending, making it important to specify the measurement period when comparing the two sides.
The Republican intervention follows months of uncertainty after Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a contentious Republican primary.
Trump backed Paxton in that contest, while many national Republican donors and Senate-aligned figures had preferred Cornyn and initially showed less enthusiasm about spending heavily on Paxton’s general-election campaign.
Republican organizations have increasingly moved past those primary divisions as Texas has attracted more national attention in the broader fight over control of the Senate.
Recent public polling has shown Paxton and Talarico separated by narrow margins, although individual surveys vary and polling does not determine the eventual outcome.
Texas remains a state Republicans have carried consistently in statewide federal elections, but recent Senate contests have demonstrated that competitive races can require substantial late spending.
Republican Ted Cruz defeated Democrat Beto O’Rourke by less than three percentage points in 2018 before winning his 2024 reelection contest against Colin Allred by a considerably larger margin.
The cost of advertising across Texas’ numerous media markets has also made the Senate contest unusually expensive for outside organizations contemplating whether to participate.
AdImpact previously projected that the 2026 Texas Senate race could become one of the most expensive contests in the country., The New York Times reported.
Senate Leadership Fund President Alex Latcham said the organization’s investment reflects its goal of maintaining the Republican Senate majority.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
