Trump and Musk spend $563 million to defend Texas Senate seat

Texas holds the first statewide Democratic victory in more than thirty years if James Talarico wins the U.S. Senate race next week. President Donald Trump is in the state for the third time in a month to prevent that outcome.

Trump visited Corpus Christi and Lubbock on Tuesday to campaign for Republican incumbent Ken Paxton. He framed the race around cultural issues, arguing that Talarico is too liberal for the region. The president also pointed to a recent military operation in Venezuela to counter the rising gas prices caused by the war in Iran.

"We are celebrating the greatest oil victory in history," Trump told a crowd in Corpus Christi. He used the stop to promote an agreement allowing Texas refineries to process more crude oil from Venezuela.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly joined the president on stage. A State Department official said Rubio traveled in his capacity as national security adviser. The official noted that being on the plane allows Rubio to discuss various issues with the president directly.

Elon Musk, who has based his personal life and companies in Texas, is financing a major portion of the Republican effort. He donated at least $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which then passed the same amount to the Texas PAC. That fund is the largest contributor to Paxton's campaign.

Musk has used his social media platform to attack Talarico, calling him a "lunatic left" to his 241 million followers. The spending has made this one of the most expensive Senate races in the country. Ad tracking firm AdImpact reports that more than $563 million has been spent on advertising between the primary and general elections.

Talarico has turned Musk's financial backing into a central theme of his campaign. The Democrat argues that wealthy donations corrupt the political system and drive up costs for working families. He has begun naming Musk specifically in his speeches, while Paxton tends to avoid discussing the billionaire's involvement.

The strategy mirrors the state governor's race, where Democrat Gina Hinojosa is challenging Republican Greg Abbott. Hinojosa sued to access communications between Abbott and Musk, arguing the relationship shows how close the governor is to the ultra-wealthy. A judge ruled on Monday that Hinojosa must be able to review over 1,000 unredacted pages by Thursday.

Trump's campaign trip is part of a broader effort to shore up Republican strongholds. He visited Mississippi, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, and Iowa in the previous week. His next scheduled stops include Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, and Iowa. He won all of these states in the 2024 election.

Vice President JD Vance also campaigned on Tuesday in Michigan. He described the Senate race there as a clash of competing visions. In California, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra urged voters to reject a voter ID ballot measure. He said the measure would make voting more difficult for residents.