Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton is set to receive a significant fundraising boost from President Donald Trump, who will headline a campaign event on Aug. 27 in Houston. The fundraiser comes as Paxton faces a substantial fundraising deficit against his Democratic opponent, State Rep. James Talarico, with less than three months until the general election.
An analysis of Federal Election Commission reports shows Paxton trailing Talarico in fundraising by more than $59 million. This financial gap is also significant compared to his predecessor; Paxton has raised over $13 million less than Republican Sen. John Cornyn did at a comparable time in his reelection bid. Cornyn’s fundraising total at the end of June 2020 was about $22.4 million, compared to $9.2 million for Paxton at the end of June 2026. Paxton defeated Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate runoff in May.
Texas is a costly media market, and Republicans are aiming to maintain or expand their current 53-47 majority in the Senate. Despite the state’s history of Republican victories, with Democrats not winning a statewide race in over three decades, recent indicators suggest the race could be competitive. More Democrats voted in the Senate primary in March than Republicans, according to data from the Texas secretary of state, signaling potential Democratic enthusiasm.
Paxton's campaign has actively sought to increase donations, employing email subject lines such as "This is bad. Very bad!" and "Outraised by over 300%." In a recent media appearance, Paxton appealed for national support, stating, "We’re trying to get help from all over the country. We need help."
However, some traditional Republican donors remain hesitant to support Paxton due to his history of controversies. Multiple donors who previously contributed to Cornyn's campaign expressed reservations about Paxton, with one Texas-based GOP consultant noting that many major GOP donors and business leaders in Texas are not aligned with Paxton. Paxton had fewer than 4,200 unique individual donors from January to June, compared to over 6,200 for Cornyn during the same period in 2020.
Erle Nye, a Cornyn donor and former CEO of utilities company TXU, stated he would not vote for Paxton and is aware of friends considering supporting Talarico. An August Texas Pulse poll indicated Paxton had a 40% favorable rating and 52% unfavorable rating among likely Texas voters, with 55% deeming him corrupt. The same poll showed Talarico leading Paxton 47% to 43% in the Senate race.
Paxton's legal history includes charges of securities fraud filed in 2015, which were resolved in 2024 with a pre-trial agreement requiring $300,000 in restitution and community service, without an admission of guilt. In 2023, he was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, the first state-level elected official to be impeached since 1917, but was later acquitted by the state Senate. Paxton has consistently denied the allegations and has never been convicted.
Other Republicans have also held fundraisers for Paxton, including at least 20 Senate Republicans who co-hosted an event in Washington, D.C., in late July. Ozzie Palomo, a host of one such event, expressed confidence that more traditional donors are beginning to support Paxton, recognizing the race's importance.
A spokesperson for Paxton, Madison Cercy, defended the campaign's fundraising efforts, calling claims of donor disengagement "completely false" and stating that the majority of fundraising occurred in the month following Paxton's runoff victory.
While Talarico's campaign has utilized its fundraising success to run attack ads, historical data suggests that large fundraising hauls do not guarantee statewide victories in Texas for Democrats. Super PACs such as the Senate Leadership Fund and MAGA Inc. have substantial funds available and could potentially provide additional support for Paxton's campaign in the fall. Alex Latcham, director of the Senate Leadership Fund, has expressed confidence in Paxton's eventual victory. MAGA Inc. has stated its commitment to assisting GOP majorities but has not specified plans for Texas.