Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. reported $10 million in independent expenditures in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, splitting the money evenly between ads supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and opposing state Rep. James Talarico (D-District 50).
The buy comes days before President Donald Trump (R), Vice President JD Vance (R) and Republicans gather at American Airlines Center in Dallas for the party’s first Midterm Convention on Wednesday and Thursday, September 9-10.
The Federal Election Commission’s 48-hour report, filed Saturday, lists two $5 million independent expenditures through Del Ray Media LLC. Both cover connected television and digital advertising disseminated September 5. One supports Paxton. The other opposes Talarico.
The filing certifies that the expenditures were not coordinated with either campaign or a political party. The spending is outside advocacy, not a contribution transferred to Paxton’s campaign.
The buy follows an August report from The Dallas Express on Talarico’s advertising advantage and Paxton’s fundraising push. It also lands before a convention that could fill more than 5,000 Dallas hotel rooms.
Trump deploys a large war chest
FEC records show MAGA Inc. held $403.45 million in cash after reporting $400.68 million in receipts during the 2025-26 cycle through July 31. The Texas buy equals about 2.5% of that cash balance and is the committee’s largest single 2026 independent-expenditure disclosure to date.
President Trump signaled the move one day earlier. “I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try to help us,” he said during a Friday event on September 4. He said he controls the committee’s funds.
Trump endorsed Paxton in the Republican primary against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Paxton won the nomination, and the expenditure now gives Trump’s endorsement financial force through an independent committee.
Texas contest draws national money
The race rating from the Cook Political Report moved from Lean Republican to Toss Up on August 20. That rating remained in place September 6.
A Emerson poll found Paxton at 47% and Talarico at 46%, within its 3% credibility interval.
Prediction markets also showed a close race. The Kalshi market priced Paxton at 51% and Talarico at 49% on Sunday, September 6. Market prices reflect trading activity, not voter surveys, and can change continuously.
Through June 30, Talarico’s authorized campaign reported $68.56 million in receipts and $21.55 million in cash. Paxton’s authorized committees reported $9.25 million in receipts and $1.76 million in cash. Those figures exclude joint fundraising groups and outside expenditures such as MAGA Inc.’s buy.
What the ads argue
The two MAGA Inc. ads center on taxes and affordability. They promote Paxton’s proposed $50,000 first-time-homebuyer deduction and claim Talarico supported a $4 trillion tax increase, higher property and Social Security taxes and a health plan that could close 30 Texas hospitals.
The records require distinctions. Talarico did not cast the congressional vote behind the $4 trillion estimate. He voted against 2019 Senate Bill 2, a bill that lowered the local property-tax revenue-growth threshold triggering an election to 3.5%, but he also voted for House Bill 3, a measure that included school property-tax compression.
Talarico’s platform would apply Social Security payroll taxes to earnings above $400,000, not tax benefits. The hospital study placed 30 Texas rural hospitals at high risk under one modeled public-option scenario. It did not predict certain closures.
Talarico campaign spokesman JT Ennis said the ads misrepresented Talarico’s tax record and cited his House Bill 3 vote, The Texas Tribune reported. MAGA Inc. spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said the group would publicize Talarico’s tax positions and support Paxton. Paxton thanked Trump and wrote that “together we will win for Texas and America.”
The $10 million expenditure makes Texas one of MAGA Inc.’s first major general-election Senate investments. It also puts the state at the center of Trump’s midterm strategy as Republicans prepare to converge on Dallas.
Provided by Dallas Express
