Trump's PAC Pumps $10 Million Into Paxton's Texas Senate Race

MAGA Inc. reported a $10 million ad buy in the Texas Senate race Saturday in a Federal Election Commission filing. The group is backing Republican nominee Ken Paxton against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

• $5 million targets pro-Paxton ads; $5 million funds anti-Talarico ads.
• $400 million or more in MAGA Inc. funds had been sitting unspent.
• Cook Political Report and Fox News both rate the seat a toss-up.
• Trump endorsed Paxton, who defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a May runoff.

Why it matters: Texas was not on either party's Senate battleground map in recent cycles. Its emergence as a toss-up reflects the broader environment: voters historically punish the president's party in midterms, and Trump's approval has faced headwinds on the economy and the Iran war.

• Trump told reporters Friday: 'I'm going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.'
• Trump said he could hold a portion of the funds until the 2028 elections.

How 31 sources split on this story

What’s next: Trump says he has roughly $1 billion on hand and plans to disburse $400 million to $500 million before November 3.

• Trump also said he plans to campaign directly for Republicans in close races.
• Whether the $10 million Texas buy is the start of rapid spending or a one-off signal remains unclear.
• Trump mentioned $1 billion on hand but MAGA Inc. reported $403 million in July filings — the discrepancy is unexplained.
• How much the ads move polling in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in decades is unknown.