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PoliticsQuiet 11d · day 17

Republicans spend $131M in 17 days to rescue Paxton in Texas Senate race

GOP groups pour record-breaking sums into Ken Paxton's bid to hold the seat, as Democrat James Talarico runs ahead in fundraising and polls.

Part of a larger narrative

Trump's 2022 Midterm Strategy

4 stories · since Sep 27 · newest 4h ago — Trump intensifies his involvement in the 2022 midterm cycle, holding rallies and endorsing candidates while facing criticism from within his own party over his…

  1. Investigation: Paxton’s state security detail cost Texans $3.3M, most trips unexplained
  2. WSJ video shows Ken Paxton partying in Dubai with indicted fugitive donors
  3. Ken Paxton needles Trump's team again in new leaked clip
  4. Republicans spend $131M in 17 days to rescue Paxton in Texas Senate raceyou are here

What to know

  • Texas PAC and allied GOP groups deployed $131–166 million in just 17 days to boost Paxton, averaging $7.7 million daily—an extraordinary intervention in what Republicans expected to hold safely.
  • Paxton trails Talarico in campaign fundraising ($17M vs. $72M through July) and sits at or slightly behind in polls, prompting the emergency GOP spending surge.
  • Control of the Senate could hinge on Texas flipping: a Democratic victory would significantly aid efforts to take the majority, while a Paxton hold would preserve GOP numbers.
  • The scale of outside spending shows fractures in Texas Republicans: Paxton won the primary by defeating four-term incumbent Cornyn after Trump's endorsement, deepening party divisions.
some voices

Paxton's character problems make massive spending wasteful; Republican Party support is misplaced.

  • “Maybe Ken Paxton shouldn't have bragged about trying to give a child predator one day in jail. God they're all so awful, how is anyone a Republican.”

    Confident-Tadpole873 · reddit ↗

“A Republican super political action committee (PAC) spent approximately $131 million in independent expenditures over 17 days supporting Ken Paxton's Texas Senate bid, an average of about $7.7 million per day.”

Newsweek · Newsweek

Ken PaxtonKen Paxton Republican Senate nomineeJames TalaricoJames Talarico Democratic Senate candidateJohn ThuneJohn Thune Senate Majority LeaderDonald TrumpDonald Trump Former presidentChuck SchumerChuck Schumer Senate Minority Leader

Republicans spend $131M in 17 days to rescue Paxton in Texas Senate race
Newsweek

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments

Peak 8 pieces in 4h at Oct 1, 8 AM; 22 pieces over 17 days (12 articles · 1 video · 7 posts · 2 comments) Sep 27, 4 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 27, 8 AM — quietSep 27, 12 PM — quietSep 27, 4 PM — quietSep 27, 8 PM — quietSep 28, 12 AM — quietSep 28, 4 AM — quietSep 28, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 28, 12 PM — quietSep 28, 4 PM — quietSep 28, 8 PM — quietSep 29, 12 AM — quietSep 29, 4 AM — quietSep 29, 8 AM — quietSep 29, 12 PM — quietSep 29, 4 PM — 1 piece · 1 video — YouTube 1Sep 29, 8 PM — quietSep 30, 12 AM — quietSep 30, 4 AM — quietSep 30, 8 AM — quietSep 30, 12 PM — quietSep 30, 4 PM — quietSep 30, 8 PM — quietOct 1, 12 AM — quietOct 1, 4 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 1, Newswires 1, Reddit 1Oct 1, 8 AM — 8 pieces · 5 articles · 2 posts · 1 comment — Newswires 5, Reddit 2, X 1Oct 1, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Oct 1, 4 PM — quietOct 1, 8 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — X 1, Newswires 1Oct 2, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Oct 2, 4 AM — quietOct 2, 8 AM — quietOct 2, 12 PM — quietOct 2, 4 PM — quietOct 2, 8 PM — quietOct 3, 12 AM — quietOct 3, 4 AM — quietOct 3, 8 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1Oct 3, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Oct 3, 4 PM — quietOct 3, 8 PM — quietOct 4, 12 AM — quietOct 4, 4 AM — quietOct 4, 8 AM — quietOct 4, 12 PM — quietOct 4, 4 PM — quietOct 4, 8 PM — quietOct 5, 12 AM — quietOct 5, 4 AM — quietOct 5, 8 AM — quietOct 5, 12 PM — quietOct 5, 4 PM — quietOct 5, 8 PM — quietOct 6, 12 AM — quietOct 6, 4 AM — quietOct 6, 8 AM — quietOct 6, 12 PM — quietOct 6, 4 PM — quietOct 6, 8 PM — quietOct 7, 12 AM — quietOct 7, 4 AM — quietOct 7, 8 AM — quietOct 7, 12 PM — quietOct 7, 4 PM — quietOct 7, 8 PM — quietOct 8, 12 AM — quietOct 8, 4 AM — quietOct 8, 8 AM — quietOct 8, 12 PM — quietOct 8, 4 PM — quietOct 8, 8 PM — quietOct 9, 12 AM — quietOct 9, 4 AM — quietOct 9, 8 AM — quietOct 9, 12 PM — quietOct 9, 4 PM — quietOct 9, 8 PM — quietOct 10, 12 AM — quietOct 10, 4 AM — quietOct 10, 8 AM — quietOct 10, 12 PM — quietOct 10, 4 PM — quietOct 10, 8 PM — quietOct 11, 12 AM — quietOct 11, 4 AM — quietOct 11, 8 AM — quietOct 11, 12 PM — quietOct 11, 4 PM — quietOct 11, 8 PM — quietOct 12, 12 AM — quietOct 12, 4 AM — quietOct 12, 8 AM — quietOct 12, 12 PM — quietOct 12, 4 PM — quietOct 12, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quiet 12
Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10now · 4:24 AM ET
  1. 2

    Republican advertising blitz reaches intensive scale

    Republican-aligned groups plan to spend $166 million total on advertising. Paxton's ads aired 258 times during "Judge Judy" in September alone, exemplifying the saturation strategy.

    “The Republican Party is united to elect Ken Paxton and keep Texas red in November. Senate Leadership Fund's investment through Texas PAC affirms our commitment to maintaining the Republican majority and defeating Far-Left liberals like James Talarico.”
    — Alex Latcham, Senate Leadership Fund executive director · source
    • Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton reportedly took over 275 lavish trips outside of Texas while he was Attorney General. These trips cost Texas taxpayers at least $1,900,000 in total.

      @HQNewsNowX12d ago905▲view on X ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 6 posts in this stretch
    • texastribune.org

      With the Senate GOP majority hinging on a red Texas, Republicans spent an eye-popping $122 million in September to support nominee Ken Paxton. But the polls have hardly budged.

      texastribune.orgBluesky12d ago135▲view on Bluesky ↗
    • @rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Oct Reps dumping $200m into in attempt to save faltering Ken Paxton -- "a slow-moving car crash" and the man who single-handedly as Atty Gnl ignited the war on trans kids by reclassifying GAC as child abuse after legislature repeatedly refused to pass anti-GAC law. The price tag on the Ken Paxto...

      assignedmedia.org@bsky.brid.gyMastodon10d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. 2 days quiet
  3. 1

    Texas Forever, Schumer-linked super PAC, registers to respond

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's super PAC, Texas Forever, registers on Thursday night as Democrats prepare to counter the GOP's record spending surge in the state.

    1. first by Washington Examiner, 15d ago

  4. background

    Texas PAC spending accelerates to $7.7 million per day average — Between September 13 and September 30, Texas PAC files FEC reports showing $131 million in independent expenditures over 17 days. This represents spending coordinated with the Senate Leadership Fund, the principal GOP super PAC for Senate races.

  5. background

    Texas PAC begins massive independent expenditure campaign — Texas PAC, an outside group linked to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, files FEC reports detailing independent spending beginning September 13. The group has committed nearly $120 million to date, with potential to reach $200 million.

  6. background

    Democratic spending dominance ends as GOP spending surges — After Labor Day, Republican outside spending begins to dwarf Democratic spending. National Democrats have invested over $50 million to support Talarico, but GOP groups rapidly escalate their financial commitment.

  7. background

    Paxton lags significantly behind Talarico in campaign fundraising — As of July, Paxton has raised $17 million through his campaign and joint fundraising committees, while Democrat James Talarico has raised $72 million. The fundraising gap disadvantages Paxton despite cheaper ad rates available to candidates.

  8. background

    Paxton defeats Cornyn in Republican primary runoff — Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, wins the GOP nomination for Senate by defeating four-term incumbent John Cornyn in a May runoff. Cornyn and his allies had spent $92 million opposing Paxton, but Trump's late decision to endorse Paxton proved decisive.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. first by Newsweek, 12d ago · also Breitbart

    1 more headline
  2. first by The Texas Tribune, 12d ago · also Daily Kos

    1 more headline
  3. first by Politico, 10d ago

    1 more headline

and 1 smaller piece

What people are saying 3 voices from 2 sites · best of 6 · verbatim