Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, walks on stage at Republicans' midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026. Credit: Texas Tribune / Eddie Gaspar WASHINGTON - At the beginning of September, Democrat James Talarico was dominating the airwaves, having spent tens of millions of dollars on ads promoting his U.S. Senate bid as national Republicans publicly debated whose coffers should be tapped to rescue Ken Paxton in Texas.

Thirty days and $122 million later, it's Talarico who is being swarmed by outside money as Republicans, led by the main outside group connected to Senate GOP leadership, have pumped unprecedented amounts of money into the Lone Star State.

Sign up The astonishing spike comes after Republicans entered September having bought less than $6 million worth of ads in the three months since Paxton locked up the nomination.