For Subscribers The Texas money pit: Republicans are spending big trying to save Ken Paxton’s Senate bid

Republicans are pouring money into Texas to keep Attorney General Ken Paxton's Senate campaign afloat against Democrat James Talarico, and CNN's review of television advertising shows how lopsided the effort has become. Groups aligned with the GOP plan to spend $166 million from the start of September to Election Day, versus $32 million for Democratic-aligned counterparts. That tops what Republicans intend to spend in Michigan ($83 million) and Maine ($61 million) put together, and among battleground Senate races only Ohio, where Sen. Jon Husted faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown, draws more. Including tens of millions spent earlier trying to stop Paxton in the primary, total Republican-aligned spending in Texas is projected to pass $300 million.

Most of the outside money comes from Texas PAC, which is tied to the Senate Leadership Fund. One Paxton ad ran 258 times during "Judge Judy" in September and 413 times during college football games, the most sought-after slot. Texas PAC spent over $2 million on more than 1,300 football spots. Ads attack Talarico on taxes and transgender policy, while others promote Paxton's anti-trafficking work, despite his history of controversy, including a failed 2023 impeachment.

The spending arrives as President Donald Trump's approval sits at 33% in a new CNN poll, and it strains Republican resources elsewhere. Rep. Michael McCaul, who backed Sen. John Cornyn in the primary, warned the seat could be lost. Karl Rove said the spending was not ideal but unavoidable, adding that Cornyn's nomination would have made the race "over."

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →