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3 big questions as GOP nears moment of truth

axios.com · 9h · first reportShare

With midterms 39 days away and the outlook for President Trump 's party looking increasingly bleak, top Republicans say they're focused on three big questions for the final stretch: Are their attack ads working? Republicans expect a wave of private polling in early October to reveal whether their massive financial advantage is cutting into Democrats' leads. GOP groups had spent more than $450 million through Sept. 23, more than twice what Democrats had spent, according to campaign finance expert Rob Pyers. But Republican strategists say they aren't sure yet whether the barrage is working amid voter anger over high prices, data centers and Trump's war in Iran. Trump's political operation didn't begin pouring its $416 million war chest into attack ads until around Labor Day, and Republicans argue the ads need time to sink in. Strategists are particularly watching the Texas Senate race, where national GOP groups have sunk more than $100 million into helping Ken Paxton against Democrat Jam