Ted Cruz Predicts $200 Million Texas Senate Contest

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz predicted on August 24, 2026, that the Texas U.S.

Senate race between Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic State Rep. James Talarico will become a $200 million battle.

Speaking on CBS Mornings, Cruz emphasized that the general election contest will be highly expensive following a contentious Republican primary runoff in late May.

"I think we're going to win this race, but it is a real fight," Cruz said on "CBS Mornings."

The Texas Republican added that he plans to campaign alongside Paxton and support him financially using funds from his super PAC.

"Ken Paxton just came out of a rough primary," Cruz said.

Recognizing the political toll of the primary battle, Cruz noted the impact of negative campaign advertising on candidate standings.

"When you face that many attack ads, you're a little bit bruised. I mean, that's just the nature of politics," Cruz said.

Addressing Talarico's position in the race, Cruz argued that public awareness of the Democratic candidate's platform remains limited.

"very few voters actually know his record," Cruz said.

Cruz further criticized Talarico's alignment with Texas voters, contrasting the state's electorate with other regions.

"He would be a great candidate in California," Cruz said.

Cruz maintained that Talarico's political stance does not fit the state's political climate.

"He's not a great candidate in Texas," Cruz said.

Addressing the upcoming choice for voters, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed confidence in the Republican nominee during an appearance on ABC News' This Week on August 23, 2026.

"Elections are about choices, and when voters go to make a choice on November the third, the contrast they will see between Ken Paxton and James Talarico is so extraordinary that choice is going to be easy, and they'll be voting for Ken Paxton and they'll be voting against James Talarico," Abbott said.

Highlighting the financial demands of the campaign, Paxton spoke about his opponent's media presence during an interview with Fox News earlier in August 2026.

"We need help now, because James Talarico’s been spending $3 or $4 million a week on TV for the last month. So, I want to compete," Paxton told Fox News.

In response to Republican ad buys, Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis issued a statement defending the Democratic candidate's legislative record.

"Ken Paxton is lying about [Talarico] again because he can’t defend his career of corruption," JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico said in a statement.

Ennis added that the representative's record reflects votes focused on state security and constitutional rights.

Talarico "has voted to support Texans’ security, privacy and First Amendment protections from foreign government influence," Ennis said in a statement.

The financial push comes after Truth and Courage PAC, an organization affiliated with Cruz, launched a $1.7 million television advertisement campaign attacking Talarico in the Houston market. Nonpartisan analysts at the Cook Political Report recently shifted their rating for the Texas Senate contest from leaning Republican to a toss-up as both political parties compete for control of the upper chamber.