However much he sends Paxton’s way could prove pivotal. Recent polling shows Talarico narrowly leading Paxton in what’s been a tight race from the jump. On fundraising, Talarico has far outpaced his rival, raising $72 million compared to Paxton’s $16.8 million this cycle.
The biggest question remains how much money, if any, Trump plans to deploy in Texas. The president, a longtime Paxton ally who endorsed him at the 11th hour in his primary, is sitting on a war chest of more than $400 million in his main super PAC, MAGA Inc. Senate GOP leaders have made clear in recent days that they plan to prioritize other states, putting the onus on Trump to help Paxton close the spending gap.
Trump held a recent fundraiser for Paxton in Houston but has not commented on whether the attorney general should expect support from MAGA Inc.
Musk, for his part, has a big stake in the state. The headquarters of Tesla, SpaceX and X are all based in Texas, along with a number of other facilities owned by Musk and his companies.
That presence is only growing. Last month, Tesla began construction on a semiconductor megafactory in Grimes County. On Thursday, Musk paraded dozens of self-driving, gold Cybercabs through the streets of Austin, touting the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi service.
Though Texas’ Senate race saw the brunt of America PAC’s recent spending, the group also put money into competitive congressional races in 12 other states, including more than $170,000 in Maine and $105,000 in Ohio, signaling that Musk’s impact is likely to be felt well beyond the state where he’s built his biggest business presence.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.