National Republican organizations and super PACs are directing hundreds of millions of dollars to the Texas Senate race as polls show a tightening contest between Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and Rep. James Talarico (D). The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a super PAC for Senate Republicans, contributed an additional $60 million to the state on Wednesday, September 30, bringing its total Texas expenditure to $131 million. The increased spending comes amid internal party discussions regarding the security of the seat and leaked audio of Paxton expressing frustration over a lack of control regarding his campaign messaging.
The race has grown more expensive as James Talarico, who led Paxton by 6 points in a New York Times/Siena poll, began receiving national Democratic financial support. Republican officials have privately urged President Donald Trump’s team to increase spending through the MAGA Inc. super PAC, which recently increased its Texas investment to $45 million through October 12. However, recent leaked audio from a September 24 fundraising lunch captured Paxton telling donors that his campaign was being run by "other people" in Washington, D.C., and that he did not "control message or what we're doing."
In addition to the outside spending, Paxton’s own campaign recently announced a $20 million advertisement buy. While national Republicans focus on Texas, some GOP operatives in Michigan and New Hampshire have expressed concern that resources are being diverted from their competitive races. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to campaign for Paxton but also publicly characterized the candidate as a "pain in the ass" following earlier leaked audio where Paxton suggested the president’s September convention in Dallas had negatively impacted polling for Republican candidates.
The investment in Texas has consequences for other battleground states. GOP operatives in Michigan and New Hampshire, where candidates are in close races, have stated that funds currently being directed toward Texas are not being utilized in their districts. This internal competition for resources could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
The outcome of these contests will be determined on November 3, 2026. In Texas, the immediate focus remains on the October 12 deadline, when the current wave of Republican ad bookings is scheduled to expire. MAGA Inc. has not yet committed to specific spending plans for the final three weeks of the campaign. President Trump is scheduled to hold his next Texas rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, as both parties monitor whether the surge in spending will shift the narrow margins reported in recent public and internal polling.