Thune urges Trump to bankroll Texas Senate contest to protect GOP majority

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told one outlet that the Republican Party must count on President Donald Trump’s resources to secure the Texas Senate seat, a race crucial for maintaining the chamber’s majority. Thune highlighted Texas’s high campaign costs and said the primary is settled, with the general election now the priority. Although Trump backed Attorney General Ken Paxton, his campaign committee, Make America Great Again Inc., has not yet written a check despite holding over $400 million in cash.

GOP donors are urging Trump to step in, arguing that his endorsement has complicated Paxton’s re-election prospects. Paxton, who carries a dismissed securities-fraud charge and a past impeachment, is being challenged by Democrat state Rep. James Talarico, who has criticized Paxton’s record and the oil industry. The Lone Star Liberty PAC has released ads promoting Paxton and attacking Talarico over his remarks on capitalism and climate change.