Texas’ GOP Senate primary is widely expected to be a bruising and costly fight — and so far the money race is highly competitive between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Cornyn’s political operation hauled in roughly $3.4 million in the third quarter across his campaign and two joint fundraising committees, according to Federal Election Commission filings. But only a portion of that will go to campaign funds that he controls; his campaign itself reported raising $910,000 between July and September.
Paxton, meanwhile, raked in just under $1.3 million directly to his campaign account, according to his filing. That means Paxton may have outraised Cornyn in actual campaign cash raised, though it’s unclear because some of the money Cornyn raised through his joint fundraising committees has not yet been sent to his campaign account.
The incumbent senator entered the next phase of the primary with nearly double Paxton’s cash on hand, $6 million to $3.1 million.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, the rising GOP star who entered the primary this month, raised $366,000 during the last quarter as a House candidate. That money can now be used for his Senate run, and he started October with $1.5 million in cash on hand.
Cornyn has steadily chipped away at Paxton’s early polling advantage, bolstered by a surge in support from national Republicans as he seeks a fifth term against the MAGA darling and, now, a rising GOP star in Hunt. A University of Houston/Texas Southern University survey conducted ahead of Hunt’s launch had Paxton and Cornyn effectively tied, with Hunt trailing. All three are positioning themselves as allies of President Donald Trump as they try to land his critical endorsement.
Whoever emerges from the primary will face a Democratic nominee eager to accomplish the longtime party dream of flipping Texas blue. The Democratic race includes former Rep. Colin Allred, state Rep. James Talarico and astronaut Terry Virts. Talarico raised nearly $6.3 million and had just under $5 million in cash on hand, according to his filing. Allred’s campaign announced it had raised $4.1 million. Virts collected under $272,000, including from a refund from a vendor, per his filing.
Jessica Piper contributed to this report.
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