Paxton allies plan $15 million ad campaign

A super PAC backing Texas Senate GOP nominee Ken Paxton released two new ads on Tuesday, as the Republican is locked in a bitter fight against Democrat James Talarico.

The ads from Lone Star Liberty PAC cost $15 million and will air across 18 markets in Texas over the next two weeks, a spokesperson for the group told The Hill.

One ad touts Paxton’s record as the Lone Star State’s attorney general, highlighting a $1.4 billion settlement he reached with Google over privacy concerns and Kellogg’s signing a deal with his office last year to remove artificial dyes from its cereals.

“Ken Paxton. When they come after Texans, he comes after them,” a narrator states.

Another ad attacks Talarico as being sympathetic to China, as the Texas representative voted against legislation last year establishing criminal penalties for foreign entities purchasing state land.

The measure passed both chambers of the Texas Legislature, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signing it into law.

“China’s got Talarico, Texas needs Ken Paxton,” a voiceover says in the ad, which is titled “Chinese Toy” and features a portrait of the Democratic candidate in similar attire to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Sam Cooper, a spokesperson for Lone Star Liberty PAC, said in a statement Talarico is a “radical masquerading as a moderate” whose record is “too extreme” for Texas.

“Between now and Election Day, voters are going to hear it, and when they do, they will reject James Talarico,” Cooper added.

The Hill has reached out to a Talarico spokesperson for comment.

Talarico has been a prolific fundraiser, raising $68.5 million since he launched his Senate bid last September, behind only incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

As of the end of June, Talarico’s campaign had more than $21.5 million on hand compared to less than $1.8 million for Paxton’s operation, per FEC data.

Decision Desk HQ also gave Talarico a 55 percent chance to win as of Monday, and election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the race as a “Toss Up.”

A recent survey from Texas Public Opinion Research found Talarico leading Paxton, with 48 percent support to the Republican’s 42 percent — when accounting for who respondents are leaning toward.

Seven percent of respondents were undecided, with the Democrat’s lead outside the margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.