Ken Paxton’s Campaign Receives Significant Financial Support Amid Close Race

Ken Paxton, Texas’s attorney general, has secured another $5 million from President Donald Trump’s primary political action committee. Despite this, Paxton’s campaign is struggling to close the financial gap with his rival, James Talarico. Recently, a filing from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) revealed that MAGA Inc., the main pro-Trump political action committee, made a contribution of $5 million to Paxton’s campaign.

This injection of funds is part of ongoing support for Paxton. GOP-affiliated groups have shown increased backing for him as the November contest approaches. NPR reports that over $94 million was spent on pro-Paxton ads in September alone. Newsweek has contacted Paxton’s campaign for comments via email.

Paxton’s National GOP Support

Prior to becoming the nominee, key figures in the Republican Party expressed concerns about Paxton’s candidacy. They initially supported his opponent in the primary, Senator John Cornyn. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) backed Cornyn and contributed to his campaign’s fundraising efforts.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune endorsed Cornyn, recognizing him as a “principled conservative.” Despite initial support for Cornyn, Thune later emphasized the need for unified GOP backing for Paxton to keep Texas Republican. Winning the primary with Trump’s endorsement enabled Paxton to gain considerable financial support from the GOP’s national fundraising networks.

FEC records indicate that Trump’s funding arm previously injected $10 million into Paxton’s campaign, directed to Del Ray Media for campaign advertisements. Additionally, America PAC, created by Elon Musk, contributed over $2 million to support Paxton. The Hill reported recently that Paxton received close to $54 million from a group linked to the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF).

“The Republican Party is united to elect Ken Paxton and keep Texas red in November,” stated SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham in Politico. “Our investment via Texas PAC reflects our commitment to maintaining the Republican majority and opposing far-left figures like James Talarico.”

This surge in support has significantly shifted the financial dynamics of the Texas Senate race, allowing Paxton to overtake Talarico in fundraising despite Talarico’s earlier lead.

Current Race Dynamics

Despite Paxton’s fundraising advantage, it has not translated into strong voter support. Six weeks before the midterms, Talarico leads in all major polls. The current margins range from a substantial lead to a narrow gap.

As reported by the New York Times, Paxton has not led any polls since an Emerson College survey on August 9-10. Although, both candidates were closely matched in an August 21-24 survey from Overton Insights.

A poll conducted by ReconMR/Texas Pulse from September 8 to 11, published this week, shows Talarico ahead by six points at 49% compared to Paxton’s 43%. These figures are noted to be outside the pollsters’ margin of error. A Texas Southern University poll from August 18-22 revealed that Talarico held sizable leads in districts 15, 28, and 34, traditionally held by President Trump in 2024.

Responding to these results during a Fox News appearance, Paxton commented, “I don’t trust all these polls. We have our own polling suggesting slightly different outcomes, but it’s undeniably a close race.”