How will a tech billionaire's massive financial intervention reshape this historically predictable election landscape?

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Elon Musk’s intervention is likely to make this once-routine Texas Senate race more volatile and far more expensive, but not necessarily predictable in the old way. Texas has long favored Republicans in statewide races, yet this contest has already broken that pattern. James Talarico is running competitively, in some polls slightly ahead of Ken Paxton, while Paxton has been weighed down by ethics and legal controversies and by weaker fundraising from his own campaign. Musk’s money changes the mechanics of the race by helping erase that financial disadvantage. Federal filings and campaign reports show Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which quickly routed matching sums into Texas-focused spending, plus another $10 million to a pro-Paxton PAC. That money has fueled a huge advertising and turnout push, with Republican-aligned outside spending soaring well above $175 million and total ad spending on pace to shatter Texas records. In practical terms, that means Paxton can stay on the air, answer Talarico’s attacks, and avoid being overwhelmed in a vast and expensive state. But money alone may not restore the old electoral certainty. Talarico has raised record sums on his own, with $64 million in one quarter and more than $134 million overall, giving him enough resources to keep competing even against a billionaire-backed barrage. Analysts also note that advertising tends to matter most at the margins, especially in a race already within a few points. So Musk’s…

Trump Blames Cornyn, Rove for Paxton's 4-Point Texas Senate Deficit

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Trump Blames Cornyn, Rove for Paxton's 4-Point Texas Senate Deficit

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