Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has received a financial boost from President Donald Trump’s primary political action committee, adding $5 million to his campaign funds. Despite this, Paxton struggles to close the gap with his opponent, James Talarico, in the race.
According to a filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), MAGA Inc., the main pro-Trump political action committee, contributed another $5 million to Paxton’s campaign. This comes as the latest sign of support for Paxton, already receiving backing from several Republican-linked groups. In September, spending on pro-Paxton ads surpassed $94 million.
Newsweek contacted Paxton’s campaign for comment.
National Republican Support for Paxton
Before securing the party’s nomination, key Republican figures and national groups expressed concerns about Paxton’s candidacy, supporting his primary opponent, incumbent Senator John Cornyn. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) backed Cornyn, aiding in fundraising efforts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorsed Cornyn, describing him as a ‘principled conservative.’ Thune emphasized the importance of supporting Paxton to maintain Republican control in Texas.
With Trump’s backing, Paxton won the primary in May and gained substantial financial support from the party’s national fundraising network. Before the latest contribution from MAGA Inc., their previous donations amounted to $10 million, spent on campaign ads via the Del Ray Media firm. Additionally, America PAC, created by Elon Musk, contributed over $2 million to Paxton’s campaign.
The Hill reported this week that Paxton also received nearly $54 million from a group linked to the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF). SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham stated, ‘The Republican Party is united to elect Ken Paxton and keep Texas red in November.’ This financial support has altered the fiscal dynamics of the Texas Senate race, allowing Paxton to outpace Talarico, despite Talarico’s initial fundraising lead.
FEC records reveal that by the end of June, Talarico had $21.5 million in cash on hand, based on $69 million in total receipts and $47 million in disbursements. Paxton had only $1.8 million at the same time.
Current State of the Senate Race
Paxton’s financial advantage has not translated into voter support. Talarico leads Paxton across major polls six weeks before the midterms. Poll results range from a comfortable lead for Talarico to a tighter contest on November 3.
According to polls listed by the New York Times, Paxton last led a poll in early August. An Emerson College poll gave him a one-point advantage, though subsequent polling, like the August 21-24 Overton Insights survey, showed a neck-and-neck race.
A recent poll from September 8 to 11 showed Talarico with a 6-point lead, 49 percent to 43 percent. The ReconMR/Texas Pulse pollsters confirmed this was outside their margin of error. An earlier August poll by Texas Southern University found Talarico leading in districts that overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2024.
In response to specific polling during a Fox News appearance, Paxton remarked, ‘I don’t trust all these polls. We have our own polling that suggests maybe a slightly different result, but we definitely have a close race.’
Newsweek editors Daniel Orton and Cristina Diciu contributed to this reporting.