Republican Ken Paxton scores $5 million donation from President Donald Trump’s PAC but struggles to close the gap as Democrat James Talarico continues leading in Texas Senate race
Ken Paxton has received another $5 million boost from President Donald Trump’s main political action committee as the Texas attorney general battles Democrat James Talarico in the closely watched Senate race.
Donald Trump PAC backs Ken Paxton
A Federal Election Commission filing on Saturday, September 19, showed MAGA Inc., the primary pro-Trump political action committee, contributed another $5 million to Paxton’s campaign.
The contribution is the latest major infusion of outside support for Paxton, who has received backing from several Republican-linked groups in recent weeks. NPR reported that spending on pro-Paxton advertisements during September alone topped $94 million.
The support represents a dramatic shift from earlier in the election cycle, when prominent Republicans and national GOP organizations raised concerns about Paxton’s candidacy and backed incumbent Sen. John Cornyn during the Republican primary.
Road to the midterms
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP’s Senate campaign arm, supported Cornyn and helped raise money for his campaign.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also endorsed Cornyn, describing him as a “principled conservative.” After Paxton secured the nomination, however, Thune said Republicans would need to “go all-in” behind him to ensure the party could “keep Texas red.”
Paxton ultimately defeated Cornyn in the May primary with Trump’s support and has since benefited from significant financial backing from the Republican Party’s national fundraising network.
Before the latest contribution, FEC filings showed Trump’s campaign funding operation had already poured $10 million into Paxton’s campaign. Those funds went to Virginia-based political communications firm Del Ray Media for campaign advertisements.
America PAC, the group created by Elon Musk, has also spent more than $2 million supporting Paxton.
Influx of Republican money
The Hill reported that Paxton additionally received nearly $54 million from a group linked to the Senate Leadership Fund.
“The Republican Party is united to elect Ken Paxton and keep Texas red in November,” SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement to Politico. “Senate Leadership Fund’s investment through Texas PAC affirms our commitment to maintaining the Republican majority and defeating far-left liberals like James Talarico.”
The influx of Republican money has reshaped the financial picture of the Texas Senate contest, with Paxton now out-raising Talarico after initially trailing his Democratic opponent.
FEC records showed Talarico finished June with $21.5 million in cash on hand after reporting approximately $69 million in total receipts and $47 million in disbursements. Paxton, by comparison, had just $1.8 million available at the same point.