MAGA, Inc., the super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump, is spending $10 million on ads backing Republican Ken Paxton in his U.S. Senate race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, according to a new Federal Election Commission filing. The money marks the group’s first major midterm expenditure and will fund a mix of digital and television ads across Texas.
The Texas race has been running close in polling, with Paxton, the state’s attorney general, and Talarico effectively neck and neck. Trump’s endorsement earlier this year had already helped Paxton defeat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary.
Paxton celebrated the ad buy on X on Saturday, writing: “While James Talarico has a record of raising taxes on working families, my Protecting the Texas Promise Agenda cuts costs and makes life more affordable. Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for your support. Together we will win for Texas and America.”
The spending decision follows weeks of speculation about whether the super PAC would wade into the contest.
Talarico’s campaign pushed back on the ad buy in a statement to Fox News Digital: “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.”
A Dallas Convention Becomes a Flashpoint
Talarico, who supports higher taxes on the wealthy, took aim at Republican donors gathering for a midterm convention in Dallas that begins Wednesday.
“Next week, billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians will gather at a convention in Dallas to clink champagne glasses and toast their own corruption,” Talarico said. “They’re paying $20,000 for entry to a Billionaire Ball celebrating corrupt tariffs, billionaire tax breaks, and a new forever war that are all driving grocery costs through the roof. We’ll be doing something different. We’re bringing Republicans, Democrats and independents together to collect groceries for our neighbors who have been screwed over by corrupt politicians.”
MAGA, Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer countered by branding the Democrat “High Tax Talarico,” telling Fox News Digital that 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.”
Fundraising Gap Despite the New Spending
Talarico’s campaign has raised $72 million since it launched, largely from small donors, compared with $16.8 million raised by Paxton’s campaign, according to the Texas Tribune.
The two new anti-Talarico ads attack his record on taxes and rural hospitals while promoting Paxton’s positions, including support for doubling the child tax credit, tax breaks for medical expenses, and a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers.
MAGA, Inc. controls roughly $400 million in campaign funds. Trump, speaking to reporters this week, referred to the money as “my money,” adding, “I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting to the original story on which this article is based.
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