Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC spends $10 million on ads supporting Ken Paxton's Texas Senate campaign

Donald Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., has launched its midterm general election spending with a $10 million digital and streaming ad buy in the Texas Senate race. The investment is split equally between boosting Republican Ken Paxton and attacking Democrat James Talarico. The race is rated a toss-up, with Talarico heavily outraising Paxton and leading in recent polls. The ad buy follows calls from Senate Republicans for Trump to deploy his $400 million war chest to defend the critical seat.

MAGA Inc. $10 million buy

• ▪The MAGA Inc. ad campaign targets television streaming and digital platforms, where political action committees and candidate campaigns pay equal rates.
• ▪The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. disclosed a $10 million ad buy in the Texas Senate race on September 5, 2026, marking its first expenditure of the general election.
• ▪The $10 million MAGA Inc. ad buy allocates $5 million for positive advertising supporting Republican Ken Paxton and $5 million for negative messaging against Democrat James Talarico.
• ▪The MAGA Inc. ads focus on tax policy, highlighting Ken Paxton's economic plan for tax breaks while criticizing James Talarico's votes on property taxes.

Paxton-Talarico competitive race

• ▪Ken Paxton won the Republican primary runoff earlier in 2026 against incumbent Senator John Cornyn following an endorsement from Donald Trump.
• ▪Democrat James Talarico led Republican Ken Paxton in second-quarter fundraising, raising over $30 million compared to Paxton's $9 million.
• ▪Political analysts and polling aggregates rate the Texas Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico as a toss-up, with Talarico holding a narrow lead.
• ▪James Talarico's campaign has spent $40.1 million on general election advertising, while Ken Paxton's campaign has spent approximately $264,000, mostly on digital platforms.

Republican super PAC reserves

• ▪The Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, has not spent general election money in Texas, citing the high cost of the state's 20 media markets.
• ▪MAGA Inc. held a cash reserve of over $400 million at the end of July 2026, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures.
• ▪Elon Musk's America PAC has spent $1.4 million on digital media and printing opposing James Talarico in the Texas Senate race.

Trump midterm spending strategy

• ▪Donald Trump stated on September 2, 2026, that he plans to campaign actively for Republican candidates locked in close midterm races without taking days off.
• ▪Donald Trump announced on September 4, 2026, that he expects to spend $400 million to $500 million of his PAC and nonprofit funds on the midterm elections.

Debatable claims

• ▪Unlimited super PAC spending in state elections undermines democratic representation
• ▪Ken Paxton's history of corruption allegations makes him unfit for the U.S. Senate
• ▪Texas should raise taxes on corporations and billionaires to fund targeted tax credits

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