Dallas — In a decisive shift, the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the super PAC that backs Senate Majority Leader John Thune, has entered the Texas U.S. Senate race with a $32 million purchase of broadcast television ads. The ad buy covers the four largest media markets in the state—Dallas‑Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin—signaling a new level of national Republican investment in the contest between Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico.
Why the sudden investment?
Senate Republicans had long treated Texas as a safe‑seat stronghold, leaving the state largely untouched by national campaign dollars. That calculus changed after Paxton fell behind Talarico in recent public polls and faced a steep spending disadvantage. Thune publicly urged President Donald Trump’s political operation to allocate resources, noting the high cost of advertising across Texas’s twenty media markets.
Trump‑aligned spending joins the effort
Following Thune’s appeal, Trump‑aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. contributed $10 million in ad time over the weekend, its first general‑election spend in any race. Combined with the SLF’s $32 million, the influx of money from the Trump political operation, Elon Musk’s PAC and other Republican donors is narrowing the financial gap that once seemed insurmountable for Paxton.
Historical context and intra‑party dynamics
For years, Senate Republicans rallied behind Sen. John Cornyn, a veteran fundraiser, and were hesitant to support Paxton because of the attorney general’s legal and ethical controversies. Dark‑money group OneNation, linked to SLF, spent millions in the summer of 2025 on ads that promoted Cornyn. After Paxton defeated Cornyn in a runoff, Thune and other GOP leaders shifted their support, hosting fundraisers for Paxton throughout the summer. Yet SLF remained on the sidelines until this latest ad purchase.
Impact on the race
Talarico has leveraged his financial advantage to dominate the airwaves, running ads that introduce his platform and criticize Republicans for rising everyday costs. The new Republican ad spend, however, brings the campaign spending closer to parity, giving Paxton a chance to counter the narrative and reach voters in key markets.
Reactions from the GOP
Christyna Thompson, spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC (the counterpart to SLF), said Paxton had “dragged SLF into bailing out a seat that was supposed to be sure‑footed territory for the GOP.” She added, “They should be sweating. SLF spent the spring trying to kill Paxton’s campaign. Now they’re stuck with the scam artist Trump forced on them.”
What’s next for Paxton’s campaign?
While the Paxton campaign will receive a lower unit rate on broadcast and radio than the supporting PACs, it has yet to make a major television ad purchase of its own. The influx of outside money may allow the campaign to secure more favorable rates and expand its own media presence in the coming weeks.
Broader implications
The SLF’s commitment to a $342 million national advertising effort across eight competitive Senate contests—five defensive and three targeted flips—continues with Texas now firmly on the agenda. The PAC is also increasing its spending in other battleground states such as Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina, underscoring the national Republican strategy to protect vulnerable seats and pursue new victories in a challenging midterm cycle.
For Texas voters, the surge of national Republican money highlights the high stakes of this Senate race and the importance of staying informed about where campaign messages are coming from and how they are funded.
Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
