A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The U.S. Senate campaign in Texas is on track to shatter spending records for the state. The race pits Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton against Democratic state Representative James Talarico. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports that the expense of the race is reflective of what's at stake.
ANDREW SCHNEIDER, BYLINE: With less than a month to go until Election Day, Paxton finds himself defending his record in a state that's been reliably red for decades. Here's Paxton speaking to the U.S. Hispanic Business Council in Fort Worth early last week.
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KEN PAXTON: I will own up to my record - every bit of it. Not that I was 100% perfect, but I feel very good about what I've sought to do both in the legislature and as Attorney General.
SCHNEIDER: In the final stretch, Paxton is campaigning at a time when ads for the U.S. Senate race are inescapable for anyone near a TV or a radio in Texas.
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UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #1: Too many Texans feel like they're drowning.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #2: Low-T Talarico.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #3: This is Ken Paxton stealing someone's $1,000 pen.
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #4: Radical liberal James Talarico.
SCHNEIDER: Jason Tinnel, a professor at the University of Houston's Valenti School of Communication, says the scope of ads for this race is unprecedented.
JASON TINNEL: I have never seen it to the point to where I thought it was a presidential campaign because of how many ads you're seeing for both candidates.
SCHNEIDER: Both Republicans and Democrats are determined to do whatever they can to boost turnout. Most polls since the summer either show Paxton and Talarico statistically tied, or some even give Talarico a slim lead.
KIRBY GOIDEL: Talarico is better positioned to win this race than Beto O'Rourke was in 2018.
SCHNEIDER: Kirby Goidel, a professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University, says this is the Democrats' best chance to win statewide in three decades.
GOIDEL: And a Democratic pickup in Texas would go a long way to helping them gain control of the Senate. On the flip side of that, a Republican successful defense in Texas would potentially help them maintain control.
SCHNEIDER: Which may be why the tone of that advertising has gone relentlessly negative. Talarico earlier refrained from direct attacks on Paxton, but now he's running ads like this.
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JAMES TALARICO: Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in Texas. Since taking office, Ken Paxton's net worth has increased 7,000%.
SCHNEIDER: Paxton has responded to the attack by accusing Talarico of corruption, which Talarico also denies. Meanwhile, groups supporting Paxton are flooding the airwaves, with many ads linking Talarico to support of transgender rights - a wedge issue among many voters here.
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UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR #5: Talarico supported using taxpayer dollars for sex-change surgeries on young children and even said denying your child's gender identity is abusive.
SCHNEIDER: In a 2019 Texas House committee hearing, Talarico said that denying a child's gender identity could be considered abusive. But he did not vote to use taxpayer money for gender reassignment surgery for minors, and he has since openly endorsed a nationwide ban on such surgeries. According to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, Talarico is being outspent by more than 2 to 1. Total spending by Paxton and groups supporting him total roughly $175 million, compared to 71 million by Talarico and groups supporting the Democrat.
It's unclear how much of an impact any of these ads will have on voters. What is certain is that the most expensive U.S. Senate campaign in Texas history is only going to get more expensive before it's through.
For NPR News, I'm Andrew Schneider in Houston. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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