Trump super PAC puts $10 million into Texas Senate race

President Donald Trump’s main super PAC is putting $10 million into Texas’ Senate race, its first major midterm investment as Republicans press the president’s political operation to help defend the party’s Senate majority.

The spending by MAGA Inc. will fund television and digital advertising for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee, and against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, according to a Federal Election Commission filing made Saturday. CBS News reported that the filing directs $5 million toward negative ads against Talarico and $5 million toward positive ads for Paxton, with both payments going to Del Ray Media Inc., a political media operation.

The money enters a contest Republicans did not expect to be so close. Paxton, a longtime statewide officeholder who remains popular with many Texas Republicans, is running neck-and-neck with Talarico in most polling, CBS News reported. Texas has not elected a Democratic senator in 33 years.

Paxton won the Republican primary earlier this year after Trump endorsed him over GOP Sen. John Cornyn, NBC News reported. Since then, some Republican senators have publicly expressed concern that Paxton could face a tougher general election than Cornyn because of past controversies.

Paxton was impeached by the Republican-led Texas House in 2023 on allegations that included bribery, abuse of public trust, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duties. He was later acquitted by the state Senate after a trial. During that trial, it emerged that Paxton had been having an affair. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, announced last year that she had filed for divorce “on biblical grounds… in light of recent discoveries,” NBC News reported, though she did not elaborate.

The Texas race has become a focus for Senate Republicans worried about holding their majority. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., urged Trump’s team this week to spend in Texas, where he estimated advertising costs $8 million a 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 on Fox News.

MAGA Inc. had more than $400 million in the bank as of July 31, according to its most recent fundraising report. CBS News reported that the committee had raised $401 million by the end of the second quarter and had spent only about $18,000 this cycle on a midterm race before a South Carolina expenditure. The super PAC previously donated $827,000 to Sen. Darline Graham’s campaign in South Carolina, where she is seeking a full term after taking the seat held by her brother, Lindsey Graham, following his death in July, according to CBS News.

Trump has said he plans to deploy far more of his political money before November. “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,” he told reporters Friday, according to NBC News. He added that he would support “people that I think are going to win and can win or are close to winning.”

Trump also said Wednesday that he would campaign in Texas for Paxton. “We’re going to go to Texas and work for Ken Paxton, who’s a great guy,” he told reporters. He defended Paxton while acknowledging criticism of his presentation: “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 has stepped up attacks on Talarico, calling him “Tala-freako” and “one of the worst candidates I have ever seen.” Talarico responded by selling T-shirts bearing the nickname.