What Happened?

Your Texas Senate race has a heavy-hitting outside player: the super PAC of the National Rifle Association (NRA) has already spent more opposing Talarico than backing its top Republican pick, Ken Paxton. The NRA Victory Fund, Inc., the NRA's super PAC, reported about $1.44 million in total spending this election cycle, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). ​

About 37 percent of that total, $529,391, went toward opposing Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. The NRA launched its first major ad of the election cycle targeting Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico over his support for banning certain semiautomatic firearms and restricting ammunition magazine capacity, The Reload reported on Oct. 16.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The $529,391 spent against Talarico exceeded the combined support spending on the committee's three largest Republican beneficiaries (Ken Paxton, Jon Husted, and David Taylor), who together received about $453,011. It also exceeded what the committee spent supporting its single largest Republican beneficiary, Ken Paxton, by roughly $278,416.

The NRA's ad references a 2020 video in which Talarico discussed his support for restricting certain firearms and magazine capacity. Beyond the ad, the NRA announced a broader multimillion-dollar campaign in Texas involving text messages, door-knocking, voter-contact mail, and a traveling gun-rights outreach effort.

Both Sides, Now

The NRA's political arm says it evaluates candidates regardless of party, based on voting records, public statements, and questionnaire responses, and supports those whose positions align with gun-rights priorities. Nearly all of the committee's organizational funding came from two NRA-affiliated bodies: the National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund contributed $1,959,401, and the National Rifle Association of America Institute for Legislative Action contributed $12,441.

Supporters of restrictions on semiautomatic firearms argue those limits can reduce the deadliness of mass shootings. The State of Maine's Independent Commission documented that a rifle and additional ammunition magazines were recovered in the October 2023 Lewiston mass shooting. The lawsuit from the New York Attorney General alleges that the May 2022 Buffalo shooter used 30-round detachable magazines in an attack that killed 10 people and injured three.

What Happens Next?

The NRA Victory Fund held $1.80 million in cash on hand as of Sept. 30. Creative Strategic Solutions, a limited liability company (LLC), reportedly received about $495,000 for advertising opposing Talarico, most of the $529,391 the committee spent against him.

The FEC requires updated disclosures on a regular schedule, so new spending figures will become public in the next reporting period. The question Texas voters will ultimately answer: does the NRA's investment shift the race, or does Talarico hold on despite being the committee's top opposition target?

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