MAGA Inc. puts $10 million into Texas Senate race
Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. disclosed a $10 million ad buy split between boosting Ken Paxton and opposing James Talarico.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
2 min read
MAGA Inc. Texas Senate spending is arriving in a $10 million burst: the Trump-aligned super PAC disclosed advertising buys split evenly between helping Republican Ken Paxton and opposing Democrat James Talarico.
The group’s Federal Election Commission filing, reported Saturday by The Wall Street Journal, lists $5 million in support of Paxton’s Senate campaign and $5 million against Talarico, the Democratic nominee. The ads are planned for connected TV, meaning streaming television on internet-connected devices, and digital platforms.
Paxton is Texas’ attorney general. Talarico is a state representative. The two are competing for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat in the 2026 election.
How is MAGA Inc.’s Texas Senate spending divided?
The reported buy has two tracks: one promotes Paxton, while the other attacks Talarico. The Journal reported that each side of that plan carries a $5 million price tag.
Independent expenditures are communications that expressly support or oppose an identified candidate without coordination with a candidate, campaign or political party, according to the Federal Election Commission. They are not subject to contribution limits, although reporting rules apply.
The FEC’s definition describes the category of spending. The filing details reported for MAGA Inc. show the group’s planned advertising allocation, but do not by themselves establish how the ads were coordinated or produced.
Why is MAGA Inc. backing Ken Paxton?
Paxton won the Republican primary over then-Sen. John Cornyn after President Donald Trump endorsed him, NBC News reported. The new buy gives the president-aligned group a prominent role in the general-election contest.
Republican organizations had been seeking MAGA Inc.’s involvement in support of Paxton, according to CNN. NBC News also reported that some Senate Republicans had voiced concerns about Paxton’s ability to win a statewide general election following past controversies.
In 2023, the Republican-led Texas House impeached Paxton on allegations including bribery and abuse of public trust. The Texas Senate later acquitted him after a trial, NBC News reported.
What are the ads saying about James Talarico?
In a statement, MAGA Inc. spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said the group would highlight what he called Talarico’s “radical policies.” CNN reported that an early pro-Paxton ad portrayed Paxton as addressing rising costs through proposals to cut taxes.
Talarico’s campaign rejected the claims. Spokesman JT Ennis called them untruthful and said Talarico had voted for what he described as the largest property-tax cut in Texas history, CNN reported.
The $10 million disclosure puts a defined sum behind both sides of MAGA Inc.’s strategy: build up Paxton and make the case against Talarico across streaming and digital screens.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.