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The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. plans to pour $10 million into the Texas Senate race, targeting Democratic nominee and state Representative James Talarico through a wave of television and digital advertising. The group filed the spending disclosure with the Federal Election Commission on Saturday, signaling a significant escalation of outside spending in one of the most closely watched Senate contests of the midterm cycle.
Paxton’s Controversies Raise GOP Concerns
The Texas race carries unusual stakes for Republicans because of the candidate at the top of their ticket. State Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent GOP Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary earlier this year, after President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton over the sitting senator.
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That outcome left some Senate Republicans uneasy. Several of Cornyn’s colleagues have publicly expressed concern that Paxton may struggle in a general election due to a series of damaging controversies. In 2023, the Republican-led Texas House impeached Paxton on allegations of bribery and abuse of public trust. The state Senate later acquitted him following a trial.
More recently, Paxton’s wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, announced she had filed for divorce from the attorney general “on biblical grounds … in light of recent discoveries,” though she declined to elaborate further. Together, these events have left a number of Texas Republicans questioning whether Paxton can win a competitive statewide race at a moment when the party is fighting to preserve its congressional majorities.
Thune Calls on Trump to Engage in Texas
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota publicly pressed Trump’s political operation to commit resources to Texas earlier this week. Thune estimated that advertising in the state costs roughly $8 million per week.
“Their resources need to be brought to bear on Texas because it’s not one that we can lose if we’re going to hang on to a Republican majority,” Thune said during an appearance on Fox News.
His remarks reflected broader frustration within Republican circles. Four people involved in GOP strategy told NBC News that some Republicans focused on holding the House and Senate this fall have grown increasingly impatient with what they see as insufficient engagement from the president in midterm campaigning.
“Somewhere in him, President Trump knows he should care about the midterms and the success of the party,” one of those individuals said. “But because of that, it’s too early to tell whether he did enough to help.”
Trump Pledges Campaigning and Major Spending
On Wednesday, Trump committed to hitting the campaign trail on behalf of Republican candidates, including Paxton. “We’re going to go to Texas and work for Ken Paxton, who’s a great guy,” the president told reporters.
Trump also addressed his own recent public criticism of Paxton’s appearance, offering a qualified defense. “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,” Trump said. “And that speaks a lot louder than the suit he’s wearing that doesn’t look so great.”
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump outlined an ambitious spending plan for MAGA Inc. heading into November. He said he intends to direct between $400 million and $500 million from the super PAC toward Republican candidates across the country.
“I think I have, like, close to a billion dollars in the super PAC, and I’m allocating probably $400 or $500 million. So I’ll be spending, we’ll be spending,” Trump said. He added that he plans to support candidates he believes can win or are close to winning, pledging to “spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.”
MAGA Inc. War Chest and Ad Campaign
According to its most recent fundraising report, MAGA Inc. held more than $400 million in cash as of July 31. The group began running national television ads promoting Trump’s policy agenda earlier this week, ahead of the broader midterm push.
A GOP operative involved in midterm campaigns told NBC News that Republican strategists are watching closely to see whether the late mobilization proves sufficient. “The president said he’s going to campaign and he’s going to spend money,” the operative said. “Time will tell if he was wrong to wait this long.”
The $10 million MAGA Inc. commitment to the Texas Senate race represents one of the clearest signs yet that Trump’s political operation is moving to engage more directly in the 2026 midterm elections, with Texas emerging as a central front in the battle for Senate control.
