Texas Voters Confront Record Costs in Historic Senate Race

Houston, Texas – Texas voters have begun casting ballots in a consequential U.S. Senate race that has become the most expensive in United States history.

In total, at least $573.2 million has been spent to support both Republican candidate Ken Paxton and Democratic candidate James Talarico ahead of the Tuesday, November 3 election.

This total includes at least $212 million from billionaire Elon Musk, whose SpaceX is headquartered in southern Texas, to support Paxton.

The large sum has made voters from across the political spectrum uneasy as they cast ballots in a contest dominated by cost concerns.

“That kind of money is being spent on the wrong stuff,” said Rico Sanchez, a 40‑year‑old union sheet‑metal worker who voted for Democrats due to the sky‑high cost of living.

“It’s about control,” he said.

Kasey Blanco, a 21‑year‑old who voted for Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, echoed the sentiment.

“It’s kind of scary,” he said. “You can see how many of these politicians are trying to get involved and distort the narrative.”

“Political power should be of the people, by the people,” Blanco said.

The record spending comprises both campaign‑raised funds and outside contributions.

Talarico has raised $155 million compared with Paxton’s $40 million. Federal law limits individual‑donor contributions, requiring donors to be identified.

Separately, large sums have flowed through political action committees—super PACs—that may spend unlimited amounts on a candidate’s behalf but cannot coordinate directly with campaigns.

Paxton has been the primary beneficiary of this spending, receiving $168 million from Musk through the Senate Leadership Fund, which has largely supported the Republican candidate, according to a New York Times analysis.

The newspaper estimates that Musk—who briefly chaired President Donald Trump’s cost‑cutting panel, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—has spent at least $212 million on Paxton, an amount that may be an underestimate because of “dark money” contributions. Trump’s MAGA Inc PAC has contributed at least $10 million to support Paxton.

The Lone Star Rising PAC has spent at least $21 million on Talarico.

The Flood of Money

With national attention on Texas, both Senate candidates delivered their closing arguments on Monday evening.

Talarico highlighted Paxton’s past corruption allegations as Texas attorney general, using Musk’s spending spree as evidence that big‑money interests are being prioritized over ordinary voters.

His campaign frequently references the TV series “Friday Night Lights,” which portrays an underdog American football team.

A Talarico victory would mark the first time a Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994, as the party seeks to turn the state blue.

“We’re going to do something extraordinary,” Talarico said in San Antonio. “We’re going to achieve something historic—shock the billionaires and the world when we retake Texas.”

Paxton has cast Talarico as contrary to Texas’s core values, a state dominated by Republicans for three decades. Its low‑tax, low‑regulation framework and conservative social policies have long made Texas a cornerstone of Republican mythology.

Paxton’s campaign repeatedly invokes the 1836 Texas Revolution, an uprising against Mexican rule.

“We’ve never been closer to losing what we cherish—our jobs, livelihoods, and way of life in Texas,” he said at a Collin County event. “If Texas falls, there’s nowhere else to go.”

Voter Monique Orellana, 46, cast her ballot on Tuesday and expressed discomfort with Musk’s spending.

“He’s pouring all that money here, trying to achieve whatever he wants,” she told Al Jazeera.

Regardless of party, she wants elected officials to fulfill their duties and represent the people.

“I would vote for Republicans if I believed they would keep their promises. Right now, I’m not feeling that,” she said.

“Trump said he wouldn’t start a war, but he did. He also promised to lower grocery prices on day one, yet they rose,” she said.

Voter Luis Plazas, 58, said he was less worried about election spending but wanted economic improvement and a shift away from Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

Still, he said he voted Republican down the ballot, citing his religious beliefs as the motive.

“I’m a Christian and I value family values, and Republicans seem more inclined toward that,” he said.

“I’m not satisfied with either contender, but my primary concern now is conservative values.”

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