Trump Super PAC Targets Texas Paxton-Talarico Senate Race With $10M Campaign/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. is spending $10 million on television and digital advertising supporting Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. The investment, the group’s first major general-election expenditure of the midterms, reflects Republican concern about Democrat James Talarico’s competitiveness. The advertisements focus on taxes, with each campaign disputing the other side’s characterization of its candidate’s record.
Quick Look
- MAGA Inc. is spending $10 million in the Texas Senate race.
- The expenditure was disclosed in a Federal Election Commission filing.
- The ads support Republican nominee Ken Paxton and criticize Democrat James Talarico.
- Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a Republican runoff with Trump’s endorsement.
- Talarico is a 37-year-old state representative.
- The ads portray Talarico as supporting broad tax increases.
- His campaign says he supports higher taxes on wealthy households—not working Texans.
- The Paxton ads promise tax relief for families and first-time homebuyers.
- MAGA Inc. reported more than $403 million in available cash through July.
- Republican candidates have pressed Trump’s political operation to deploy more of that money.
- A Democratic victory would be the party’s first in a Texas statewide election since 1994.
Deep Look
Trump-aligned group enters Texas Senate race
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — MAGA Inc., the political group aligned with President Donald Trump, is launching a $10 million television and digital advertising campaign in support of Republican Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton.
The expenditure was disclosed in a Federal Election Commission filing and represents the group’s first major investment in a leading general-election contest during the 2026 midterms.
The decision to spend heavily in Texas demonstrates the national importance both parties are assigning to a contest that Republicans once expected to win comfortably.
Paxton, the state attorney general, faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November.
Trump endorsement helped Paxton win nomination
Trump endorsed Paxton during his Republican primary contest against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
That endorsement helped Paxton defeat Cornyn in a May runoff, replacing an established senator with a candidate who has faced public and legal controversies during his career.
Trump has continued defending Paxton while acknowledging that the attorney general may have weaknesses as a television campaigner.
“You might not like the way he looks, you might not love his look, you might not love his television interviews, but he was the best attorney general in the country, perhaps,” Trump said at a White House midterm event.
Talarico’s candidacy has given Democrats an opportunity to compete for a Senate seat in a state where the party has not won a statewide election since 1994.
Advertisements focus on taxes
The new advertisements present taxes as a central dividing line between the candidates at a time when voters remain concerned about inflation and living expenses.
MAGA Inc. portrays Talarico as seeking broad tax increases and describes Paxton as supporting tax breaks for families and first-time homebuyers.
Talarico has supported raising taxes on wealthier households. His campaign disputes the assertion that he favors higher taxes for Texans generally.
“High Tax Talarico wants to take money out of Texans’ pockets,” MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer said. “MAGA Inc. is going to ensure Texas knows about Talarico’s radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate.”
Talarico campaign disputes ad claims
Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis accused the super PAC of misrepresenting the Democrat’s tax record.
“Billionaire-backed dark money groups are lying about James Talarico because they’re scared of the people-powered movement we’re building to fix this broken, corrupt political system,” Ennis said.
“James was proud to vote for the largest property tax cut in Texas history and has consistently voted to cut taxes for working Texans.”
The competing claims are expected to make tax policy and affordability prominent issues during the closing weeks of the campaign.
Trump tax law provides broader context
The tax legislation Trump signed in 2025 extended and expanded provisions from his 2017 tax overhaul.
Supporters argue that the measure reduced taxes for households and encouraged investment. The legislation also increased projected federal deficits, adding to concerns about government borrowing costs.
Trump separately imposed tariffs on a wide range of imported goods. Tariffs are collected from U.S. importers and can be passed along through higher prices, although their ultimate economic effects vary by product and market conditions.
Those policies complicate the Republican message as the party seeks to make opposition to tax increases a defining campaign issue.
MAGA Inc. controls a large campaign reserve
MAGA Inc. reported $403.45 million in cash on hand through July 31according to its FEC committee filings. It listed no outstanding debts or loans.
Republican candidates in competitive races have been waiting for the super PAC to begin deploying that reserve.
“I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us,” Trump told reporters.
Trump described the super PAC’s reserve as “my money” and said it was separate from funds controlled by the Republican National Committee.
Legally, MAGA Inc. is an independent-expenditure political committee rather than Trump’s personal account. Such committees can raise and spend unlimited sums but may not coordinate their independent expenditures with candidates or political parties.
Trump raises possibility of retaining money for 2028
Trump said some of the political funds could remain unspent until the 2028 election cycle “if that’s what I want.”
The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prohibits a person from being elected president more than twicebarring Trump from seeking another elected term.
The money could still be used to influence Republican primaries, congressional campaigns or the eventual presidential contest, subject to campaign-finance requirements.
Texas becomes important to fight for Senate control
The Texas investment comes as Democrats seek enough Republican-held seats to capture the Senate while defending their own vulnerable incumbents.
Public dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy and the Iran conflict has created difficulties for Republican candidates in several states. Texas becoming competitive would force the party to devote money to a seat that might otherwise have required fewer national resources.
The race also presents contrasting fundraising positions. Talarico has substantially outraised Paxtonaccording to campaign-finance figures reported by other news organizations, increasing pressure on outside Republican groups to close the advertising gap.
More Republican spending expected
Republicans in other competitive states are continuing to seek support from Trump’s political operation.
James Blair, who oversees Trump’s midterm political effort, said candidates would ultimately be satisfied with the assistance they receive.
“When it’s all said and done, all Republicans, at least, will be quite pleased and relieved at the support they find,” Blair said.
The Texas ad campaign offers the first clear indication of where MAGA Inc. is placing its resources as the battle for control of Congress enters its final phase.
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