Donald Trump’s political operation is making a major financial push in the Texas Senate contest, with his aligned super PAC committing $10 million to help Republican candidate Ken Paxton defeat Democratic challenger James Talarico.
MAGA Inc. has allocated $5 million toward television and digital advertising supporting Paxton and another $5 million for advertisements targeting Talarico, according to Federal Election Commission records.
The substantial investment comes as Republicans face an unusually competitive Senate race in Texas, a state that has not elected a Democratic senator in more than 30 years.
Financial boost follows Trump’s unusual comments about Paxton
The contribution comes only days after Trump publicly campaigned for Paxton while making pointed comments about the candidate’s appearance and presentation.
Speaking at the White House Rose Garden, Trump acknowledged that some voters might dislike Paxton’s clothes, appearance or television performances before arguing that his record as Texas attorney general mattered more.
Trump nevertheless described Paxton as one of the strongest attorneys general in the country and urged Republicans to support him.
The remarks immediately drew attention because of the contrast between Trump’s criticism of Paxton’s appearance and the enormous financial commitment subsequently made by his political organization to Paxton’s campaign effort.
$10 million routed through GOP-aligned media company
FEC records show that MAGA Inc. transferred the $10 million to Del Ray Media LLC on Friday.
Del Ray Media is a prominent Republican-aligned political advertising firm.
According to OpenSecrets, the company spent approximately $336 million during the 2024 election cycle on efforts supporting Republican candidates.
Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., said the organization intended to make sure Texas voters were aware of what it described as Talarico’s “radical policies” while backing Paxton’s bid for the Senate.
The organization has also labeled Talarico “High Tax Talarico” as it attempts to define the Democratic candidate for voters.
Talarico campaign dismisses the Republican spending surge
Talarico’s campaign has not appeared intimidated by the size of the Republican investment.
His press secretary, JT Ennis, characterized the spending as evidence that Republicans are worried about the competitiveness of the race.
Ennis accused billionaire-backed political groups of attempting to misrepresent Talarico and argued that the Democratic campaign represented a broader movement against what it called a broken political system.
The response reflects the increasingly combative nature of a contest that Republicans would normally expect to be relatively secure in Texas.
Paxton welcomes Trump’s backing
Paxton responded to the financial support by thanking Trump publicly.
In a post on X on Saturday, the Republican candidate contrasted his campaign agenda with what he described as Talarico’s record on taxes, arguing that his own proposals would reduce costs and make life more affordable for Texans.
“Thank you, President, for your support,” Paxton wrote, adding that he believed the two sides would ultimately win for Texas and the United States.
MAGA Inc. had largely stayed out of the midterms
The $10 million Texas investment represents a significant escalation for MAGA Inc., which had been relatively restrained in its spending during the current midterm cycle.
The super PAC’s other major candidate contribution this election cycle went to Darline Graham’s campaign in South Carolina. Graham sought to replace her brother, the late Senator Lindsey Graham, and MAGA Inc. contributed approximately $827,000 to support her during the August primary runoff.
Before that contribution, the organization had not spent money directly on candidates since May, when it contributed roughly $560,000 toward efforts to unseat Representative Thomas Massie in favor of Ed Gallrein.
Trump promises to campaign across 35 competitive races
Trump has indicated that his involvement in the midterm elections will extend well beyond Texas.
Speaking earlier in the week, the president said he planned to devote the final month of the campaign, and potentially longer, to helping Republican candidates in 35 competitive races across the country.
“I’m gonna go to every one of those 35 places and I’m gonna see if we can get everyone elected,” Trump said.
The Texas Senate contest is now clearly among the races receiving significant attention and financial resources from Trump’s political network.
MAGA Inc. is not Trump’s personal campaign account
Despite being closely aligned with Trump, MAGA Inc. is not simply a personal bank account controlled directly by the president.
The organization is classified as an “unauthorized” hybrid political action committee and does not solicit donations specifically for individual candidates in the manner of a candidate’s own campaign committee.
Its financial activity can nevertheless play an important role in shaping elections through independent advertising and other political expenditures.
Paxton’s political record remains a major issue
Paxton enters the Senate contest with a long and controversial political history.
He was previously arrested in connection with a federal fraud case, although the case was later dismissed.
He subsequently won another term as Texas attorney general.
His tenure also culminated in a 2023 impeachment trial in the Texas Senate, where he faced allegations including bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duties.
Paxton was acquitted of all charges.
The Democrat’s campaign has continued to highlight those controversies as it seeks to make the Republican’s political record a central issue in the Senate race.
Talarico campaign files FEC complaint
The contest has also produced a separate dispute over campaign financing.
Talarico’s campaign manager filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Paxton improperly used funds connected to an illegitimate political committee.
Paxton’s campaign has denied the allegations.
The FEC has not yet investigated or ruled on the complaint, meaning the accusations remain unproven.
Poll shows Democrats within striking distance
The financial battle comes as polling suggests the race could be considerably closer than Republicans might have expected in Texas.
A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll conducted on August 25 showed Talarico holding a three-point advantage over Paxton.
That result has contributed to the perception that the contest is a genuine toss-up and helps explain why both parties are devoting increasing resources to the race.
For Trump and his allies, the $10 million investment signals a determination to prevent Democrats from making an unexpected breakthrough in a state that has remained firmly Republican in federal elections for decades.
