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Musk’s $158M boost fuels Paxton’s $500M Senate ad war

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 6:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Ken Paxton’s $500M Spend

Ken Paxton’s campaign has spent more than $500 million on Senate race advertising.
Outside groups backing Paxton have contributed about $239 million, five times Democratic groups’ $45 million.
Elon Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which matched the amount to the Texas PAC.
Texas PAC has spent nearly $149 million on ads attacking James Talarico’s trans-rights stance.
Fact-checkers rated those ads claiming Talarico supports taxpayer-funded sex-change surgery for minors as false.

Summary

Talarico Calls for Credits

James Talarico rallied at Safari Texas Ranch in Fort Bend County after a day of Houston appearances.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia greeted Talarico at Garcia’s north-Houston home.
Talarico said Paxton’s $50,000 home-down-payment and $25,000 medical expense deductions favor the wealthy.
He urged expanding low-income housing tax credit and increasing child and earned-income tax credits.

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Ken Paxton’s $500M Spend

Ken Paxton’s campaign has spent more than $500 million on Senate race advertising.
Outside groups backing Paxton have contributed about $239 million, five times Democratic groups’ $45 million.
Elon Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which matched the amount to the Texas PAC.
Texas PAC has spent nearly $149 million on ads attacking James Talarico’s trans-rights stance.
Fact-checkers rated those ads claiming Talarico supports taxpayer-funded sex-change surgery for minors as false.

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