President Donald Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC is pouring $10 million into the Texas Senate race to support Republican Ken Paxton, marking the group’s first major general election spending of the midterm campaign.
Read more U.S. Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers After Missile Attacks on Navy Warships
Federal Election Commission filings show MAGA Inc. is spending $5 million on television and digital advertising supporting Paxton and another $5 million opposing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
The investment comes as Republicans work to defend a Senate seat in a state where the party has not lost a statewide election in more than three decades.
Talarico has built a substantial financial advantage over Paxton. Through the end of June, the Democrat had raised $68 million compared with $9 million for Paxton, allowing Talarico to maintain a heavy advertising presence throughout the summer.
Trump’s political operation has approximately $400 million available as Republicans fight to maintain their congressional majorities.
“I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us,” Trump said Friday.
Read more The Great Capitalist-Feminist Swindle
Other major Republican groups are also moving resources into Texas.
Elon Musk’s America PAC has spent millions supporting Paxton and opposing Talarico, while the pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC launched a $15 million advertising campaign this week.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is also expected to appear at a Paxton fundraiser in Dallas next week as Republicans gather for their midterm convention. Thune’s participation comes after he and other Senate Republican leaders backed incumbent Sen. John Cornyn against Paxton during the GOP primary.
The Thune-aligned Senate Leadership Fund is also expected to spend on Paxton’s behalf and has been sharing polling and research with Lone Star Liberty PAC, according to Axios.
Trump endorsed Paxton in the Republican primary, helping the Texas attorney general defeat Cornyn. The MAGA Inc. spending signals that Trump’s political operation is now committing substantial resources to helping Paxton keep the longtime Republican Senate seat in GOP hands.
