Trump’s MAGA Inc. Deploys $10 Million in Ads for Ken Paxton’s Texas Senate Bid

The Trump-aligned super-PAC MAGA Inc. filed a Federal Election Commission disclosure indicating a $10 million purchase of digital and television advertisements to support Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and to attack Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the 2026 U.S. Senate contest. The payment was split evenly, with $5 million earmarked for Paxton’s campaign and $5 million for attack ads against Talarico. The ads will run statewide in the weeks leading up to the November midterm election.

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Paxton secured the Republican nomination after President Donald Trump endorsed him in a May primary runoff, unseating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. The endorsement helped Paxton overcome a crowded field, but the general-election contest has proved unusually competitive. Texas, a three-decade Republican stronghold, is now viewed as a potential pickup for Democrats, with the Cook Political Report rating the race a “toss-up.” Polls released after the filing show the candidates neck-and-neck, and analysts note that midterm dynamics typically penalize the party holding the White House.

The Hill

• Ad spend: $10 million total; $5 million to Paxton’s campaign, $5 million to attack ads.

CNN

• Fundraising gap: Talarico’s campaign has raised $72 million, largely from small donors, while Paxton’s campaign has collected $16.8 million.

New York Post

• MAGA Inc. cash reserves: The PAC reports a cash balance exceeding $400 million; President Trump has publicly suggested the war chest could approach $1 billion.

New York Times

• Other GOP donors: Elon Musk’s America PAC contributed roughly $250,000 in “printing” expenses for Paxton and an additional $800,000 in broader Texas spending.

CNN

President Trump told reporters that MAGA Inc. must invest heavily to portray Talarico as a “far-left winger.”

The Hill

Talarico’s campaign denounced the $10 million ad buy as “billionaire-backed dark money” aimed at silencing a “people-powered movement” for tax reform and public-service investment. The candidate warned that the influx of billionaire-sponsored advertising threatens a fair electoral contest and highlighted his own fundraising record as evidence of broad grassroots support.

New York Post

• Cash size: Trump has claimed MAGA Inc. holds “close to $1 billion,” while the latest filing lists a balance of “more than $400 million.”

NOTUS

• Poll positioning: Some outlets cite an August poll showing Paxton trailing Talarico by six points; other reports describe the race as “neck-and-neck” without a specific margin.

The Hill

• Future spending: The PAC has not disclosed how much of its $400-$500 million midterm budget will be directed to Texas, leaving the ultimate financial impact uncertain.

CNN

Both parties are expected to intensify advertising as the November ballot approaches. Trump has indicated that additional funds from MAGA Inc. could be deployed in the coming weeks, while GOP leaders continue to press the president for further resources. Democrats are likely to highlight the super-PAC spending as a focal point of their campaign narrative, framing it as evidence of “billionaire-driven” influence in a race that could determine Senate control.

CNN