Texas Senate race tops $500 million as GOP scrambles to lift Paxton
What's new: Elon Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, helping fuel a late Republican turnout push with Nov. 3 voting underway.
The Texas Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has surpassed $500 million in combined ad spending, putting it on track to become the most expensive US Senate contest ever. With early voting under way and two weeks until the Nov. 3 election, Republicans are pouring money into turnout efforts rather than trying to win over many undecided voters. Outside groups backing Paxton have spent about $239 million, compared with roughly $45 million from the biggest Democratic-aligned groups. Texas PAC alone has spent nearly $149 million. Federal filings show Elon Musk contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which then transferred matching sums to Texas PAC. Polls cited in the report show Talarico holding a small lead, generally within the margin of error.