Trump super PACs spend tens of millions on Senate and House races in Ohio, Texas, Michigan

Donald Trump's political network is deploying tens of millions of dollars from a massive war chest to bolster vulnerable Republicans in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. In Ohio, Trump rallied to support Senator Jon Husted, who is locked in a dead-even race with Democrat Sherrod Brown amid controversy over local AI data centers. Meanwhile, the Senate Leadership Fund has pulled its advertising from North Carolina to redirect resources to Kansas, signaling shifting GOP prospects as Democrats seek a four-seat net gain to seize the Senate majority.

Trump super PAC spending

• ▪The Trump-affiliated No Going Back PAC has spent close to $23 million in the Ohio Senate race, $17.5 million in the Michigan Senate race, and nearly $10 million in the North Carolina Senate race.
• ▪Donald Trump's main super PAC, MAGA Inc., and its affiliated groups, No Going Back PAC and Safety & Affordability PAC, have injected tens of millions of dollars into pivotal Senate and House races to help Republicans maintain control of Congress.
• ▪The Trump-aligned Safety & Affordability PAC filed its first official spending report with the FEC on October 1, 2026, showing hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in toss-up House districts in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
• ▪As of late August 2026, Donald Trump's main super PAC, MAGA Inc., had $415 million on hand, with Trump pledging to spend between $400 million and $500 million in the midterm elections.

The Texas Senate race

• ▪The Senate Leadership Fund's affiliated Texas PAC has spent more than $130 million to boost Republican Ken Paxton and oppose Democrat James Talarico in the Texas Senate race.
• ▪Polling averages compiled by Decision Desk HQ show Democratic nominee James Talarico leading Republican incumbent Ken Paxton by more than 2 percentage points in the Texas Senate race.
• ▪Donald Trump scheduled a campaign rally for October 7, 2026, at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas, featuring Republican Ken Paxton and congressional candidate Carlos De La Cruz.
• ▪Donald Trump's main super PAC, MAGA Inc., has funneled $25 million into the Texas Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico.

The Ohio Senate race

• ▪National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott stated that the Ohio Senate race between Jon Husted and Sherrod Brown has narrowed to a dead-even contest.
• ▪Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on October 3, 2026, to boost Republican Senator Jon Husted in his tight Senate race against Democrat Sherrod Brown.

Debate over Ohio data centers

• ▪The Republican-controlled Senate attempted to advance legislation sponsored by Jon Husted to charge large power users more to protect consumers, but nearly all Democrats blocked the bill.
• ▪At his October 3, 2026, rally in Ohio, Donald Trump defended artificial intelligence data centers, arguing that the United States cannot turn them off or cede advancements to China.
• ▪Democrat Sherrod Brown and allied groups have heavily criticized Republican Senator Jon Husted for his role as lieutenant governor in attracting data centers to Ohio, citing concerns over electricity prices and water supplies.

Ohio governor's race

• ▪In the Ohio governor's race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is locked in a close contest with Democrat Dr. Amy Acton despite Ramaswamy spending more than $12 million in campaign advertising.
• ▪Republican Vivek Ramaswamy spoke at Donald Trump's campaign rally in Ohio on October 3, 2026, highlighting the American dream for his immigrant family.

Senate Leadership Fund spending shifts

• ▪The Senate Leadership Fund canceled all remaining October 2026 ad bookings in the North Carolina Senate race, signaling that Republicans see diminishing prospects for nominee Michael Whatley against Democrat Roy Cooper.
• ▪The Senate Leadership Fund redirected its resources to launch a new ad effort in Kansas, reserving more than $8 million in airtime to support Republican Senator Roger Marshall against Democrat Adam Hamilton.

Battle for Senate control

• ▪Democrats need to net four seats to take control of the U.S. Senate in the midterm elections, targeting Republican-held seats in states like Ohio, North Carolina, Maine, and Kansas.
• ▪AdImpact reported that Republicans held a Senate aired-advertising spending advantage over Democrats of nearly $190 million, marking the first time they held this edge at this point in a cycle since at least 2020.

Debatable claims

• ▪The Senate Leadership Fund's cancellation of North Carolina ad bookings is justified
• ▪Trump's super PACs should stop spending campaign funds in safely Republican congressional districts
• ▪Massive Republican spending to defend Ken Paxton in Texas does more harm than good