Paxton Defies Establishment Expectations, Enters Election Home Stretch As Top GOP Fundraiser

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has entered the final 100 days, cementing himself as the top GOP Senate fundraiser this cycle.

His campaign committee, Ken Paxton for Senate, raised more than $9 million in the second quarter—the largest single-quarter total announced by a GOP Senate non-incumbent nationwide. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Ken Paxton Wants Texas To Know That James Talarico Is ‘Weird’)

The milestone comes after some Republican operatives and donors voiced concerns during the Texas Senate primary that nominating Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn could put the party at a financial disadvantage.

Inbox: Ken Paxton reveals his economics plan. He'll get on the road to stump for it next week. pic.twitter.com/hejWZBl11M

Instead, the vast majority of Paxton’s second-quarter funds arrived within one month of his May 26 primary runoff victory, signaling rapid consolidation of support as the race heads toward the general election.

Paxton’s haul also outpaced other top Republican Senate candidates across the country, including Ohio Republican Jon Husted, who raised $7.7 million; Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who brought in $5.7 million; North Carolina Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who raised $5 million; and Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins and Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who each raised $2 million during the same period.

The $9.2 million haul also surpassed the previous GOP Senate fundraising record this cycle, which Cornyn held after he raised $9 million in the first quarter, according to a Texas Tribune report.

Paxton faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, whose campaign committee, Talarico for Texas, raised $30 million in the same period, according to Federal Election Commission records.

The Texas Senate contest is widely expected to rank among the most expensive in the country.

Despite the strong numbers, an analysis of federal campaign finance data found that none of the nearly 100 donors who gave at least $50,000 to Cornyn’s campaign or affiliated PACs during the cycle had donated directly to Paxton or his aligned committees after the runoff, according to an Axios report.

Major Cornyn supporters—including members of the Perot family, Houston beer distributor John Nau, and Dallas real estate developer Harlan Crow—had not shifted support as of the latest filings through June 30, according to the Axios analysis.

Cornyn has said he will not campaign or raise money for Paxton, whom he called a “con man” during the primary contest. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Trump Aligned Group Drops Six Figures On ‘Talafreako’ Ad In Texas)

With less than four months until Election Day, polling shows a competitive race, while Paxton has continued to consolidate support among Republican voters following his primary victory.

When asked by the Daily Caller for comment on the Attorney General’s fundraising numbers, Paxton Advisor Nick Maddux wrote, that the ‘Fake News Media’ Is Trying to ‘Suppress Enthusiasm’ after a record fundraising quarter, “In an attempt to suppress enthusiasm, the fake news media is desperately trying to push the narrative that grassroots supporters and donors are not fully engaged to keep Texas red. That claim is completely false, and they know it.”

The race between Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico has tightened in recent weeks, with two new polls showing the contest within the margin of error as Democrats look to flip the long-red state.

A survey from the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University found Talarico narrowly leading Paxton, 47 percent to 45 percent, with six percent of voters undecided and two percent supporting another candidate, according to a report from The Hill.

The poll found both candidates facing mixed favorability ratings, with Talarico viewed favorably by 46 percent of voters and unfavorably by 47 percent. In comparison, Paxton held a 39 percent favorable and 57 percent unfavorable rating. (RELATED: James Talarico Promised Black Voters A National Police Crackdown. These Texas Sheriffs Aren’t Pleased)

The findings come shortly after a Fox News poll showed Talarico leading Paxton by 3 points, further signaling a competitive race heading into the final stretch.

Decision Desk HQ currently rates the contest as a toss-up, with Paxton holding only a narrow advantage in the race to keep the seat in Republican hands.