President Trump’s main super-PAC just cut a $10 million check to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign, marking one of the largest single expenditures in the 2026 midterm cycle. Federal Election Commission filings published Saturday show MAGA Inc. funneled the money through political media firm Del Ray Media to fund attack ads against Paxton’s Democratic challenger, State Representative James Talarico.
The massive infusion comes as Paxton seeks to replace retiring Senator John Cornyn, who announced last year he wouldn’t run for a fifth term. Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, but Talarico’s campaign has attracted national attention and significant fundraising from progressive donors hoping to flip the seat.
Two Attack Ads Already Running Statewide
The $10 million bought production and airtime for two separate television spots targeting Talarico. While specific content wasn’t detailed in the FEC filing, both ads began running across Texas media markets this week, according to campaign finance records.
Paxton, who has served as Texas Attorney General since 2015, gained national prominence for his aggressive legal challenges to Biden administration policies and his role in election integrity lawsuits following 2020. He faces ethics questions stemming from securities fraud charges filed in 2015, though the case has remained in legal limbo for years.
What MAGA Inc.’s Spending Signals
The super-PAC’s willingness to deploy this much money nine months before Election Day suggests Trump’s political operation views the Texas race as critical to maintaining Republican control of the Senate. Republicans currently hold a 52-48 majority, making every seat crucial for either party’s agenda.
MAGA Inc. raised over $180 million in the 2024 cycle and has positioned itself as Trump’s primary outside spending vehicle. The Paxton investment represents roughly 5.5% of that total haul directed to a single race.
Talarico’s campaign hasn’t yet responded to the ad buy. The state representative from Round Rock has built his campaign around education funding and property tax relief, attempting to peel off suburban voters who’ve shown willingness to split tickets in recent Texas elections.
Early polling shows Paxton leading by single digits, within most surveys’ margin of error. Election Day is June 3, 2026.
Key Points
- Trump’s MAGA Inc. super-PAC gave $10 million to Ken Paxton’s Texas Senate campaign, one of 2026’s largest single expenditures
- The money funded two attack ads against Democratic challenger James Talarico through Del Ray Media
- The massive early spending signals Trump’s team views Texas as critical to keeping the Senate, despite the state’s Republican voting history
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6073421-trump-maga-inc-paxton-donation-10-million/ – September 05, 2026
