Trump-Aligned Super PAC Deploys $10 Million in Texas Senate Race

A filing with the Federal Election Commission on Saturday disclosed that MAGA Inc., the super-PAC tied to former President Donald Trump, is spending $10 million on television and digital advertising in the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate contest. The purchase is split evenly: $5 million for ads promoting Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and $5 million for ads attacking Democratic state Representative James Talarico. This marks MAGA Inc.’s first general-election expenditure in a midterm cycle.

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Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a May primary runoff, buoyed by Trump’s endorsement. James Talarico entered the race with a fundraising advantage, having raised $72 million to date compared with Paxton’s $16.8 million. Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988, making the race a bellwether for national Senate control.

Trump’s MAGA Inc. steers $10 million to boost Ken Paxton for Senate NBC NewsEl Paso TimesNOTUSWashington ExaminerUsNews and World ReportTexas TribuneNew York TimesTexas Tribune

• Ad spend: $10 million by MAGA Inc.; previously $1.7 million on a 2025 Tennessee special election and $18,000 on a Georgia House race.

USA Today

• Cash on hand: $403.45 million as of July 31, per the PAC’s filing.

Texas Tribune

• Trump’s war chest: On September 4, 2026, Trump said he controls “close to a billion dollars” in super-PAC assets and plans to allocate $400 million-$500 million to the midterms.

CNBC

• Fundraising gap: Talarico’s campaign has spent $40.1 million on general-election advertising, while Paxton’s campaign has logged roughly $264,000, primarily on digital platforms.

Texas Tribune

• Outside spending: Lone Star Liberty PAC has contributed $18.9 million to Paxton; other pro-Paxton groups and the Senate Leadership Fund have added additional millions.

Texas Standard

MAGA Inc. indicated that a portion of the war chest could be reserved for the 2028 election cycle.

Washington Examiner

• Cash-on-hand discrepancy: The FEC filing lists $403.45 million, yet Trump’s September 4 remarks claim the super-PAC holds “close to a billion dollars.” The gap reflects differing definitions of total assets versus cash reserves.

CNBC

• Future spending timeline: While Trump indicated a willingness to allocate up to $500 million, no concrete schedule for additional disbursements in Texas has been disclosed.

CNBC

• “I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.” — Donald Trump, president (q1)

CNBC