MAGA Inc. spends $10 million on Texas Senate ads for Ken Paxton as race tightens

MAGA Inc., the pro-Donald Trump super PAC, disclosed a $10 million ad buy aimed at the Texas U.S. Senate race. The filings show the money will buy television streaming and digital ads. This is MAGA Inc.'s first general-election expenditure in 2026 and an explicit move into a race that national Republicans view as winnable and costly.

Half the $10 million is earmarked for positive ads promoting Republican Ken Paxton. The other $5 million will fund negative ads attacking Democrat James Talarico. MAGA Inc. released two 30-second spots focused on tax policy: they promote Paxton's plan for tax breaks tied to healthcare and housing and accuse Talarico of supporting tax increases and opposing limits on property tax revenue growth.

The ad buy comes amid broader outside spending. Elon Musk's America PAC has spent about $1.4 million against Talarico on digital media and print. Talarico raised more than $30 million in the second quarter, while Paxton raised over $9 million in the same period. Polling averages show Talarico with a narrow lead, and several political analysts classify the race as a toss-up — an uncommon label for statewide contests in Texas.

MAGA Inc.'s public messaging frames the choice as lower taxes with Paxton versus higher taxes with Talarico. A MAGA Inc. spokesperson posted on X: "High Tax Talarico wants to take money out of Texans' pockets. MAGA Inc. is going to ensure Texas knows about Talarico's radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate."

Talarico's campaign responded that the ads misstate his record. A Talarico spokesperson, JT Ennis, said the claims are false and pointed to Talarico's vote for what the campaign called the largest property tax cut in Texas history and his record of voting to cut taxes for working Texans.

Why national GOP figures pushed for spending

Republican leaders have argued Texas is essential to holding the Senate majority. Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Senate GOP leadership, has not spent in Texas so far. Senators and allied figures underscored Texas' expense: the state has 20 media markets, making statewide broadcast buys substantially pricier than many other battleground states. Sen. John Kennedy and others urged Trump and his operation to step in, with public comments estimating much larger potential investments for the state.

With early voting just over six weeks away at the time of the filing, additional outside spending is probable. MAGA Inc. reported having hundreds of millions on hand earlier in the year, and President Trump told reporters he expected to direct several hundred million dollars toward midterm efforts across various vehicles. The ad buy shifts a major national pro-Trump resource into Texas advertising markets at a critical late stage of the campaign.