MAGA Inc. is spending $10 million to stop ‘High Tax Talarico’ and support Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race

The super PAC linked to President Donald Trump, MAGA Inc., kicked off its midterm campaign with a $10 million war chest earmarked for television and digital platforms. The money aims to boost Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas against Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race, according to a report filed with the FEC and cited by AP.

The investment comes at a delicate time for Republicans in Texas. Polls from recent weeks show a neck-and-neck race between the two candidates, with margins within the margin of error and some polls even giving Talarico a slight lead in a state that until recently was considered a solid hold for the GOP.

Where and how the $10 million will be spent

According to FEC documents, the $10 million will be channeled through the political media company Del Ray Media and will fund two attack ads against Talarico, as well as pro-Paxton ads. The breakdown is $5 million in support of Paxton and $5 million against Talarico, with spots set to air on television and digital platforms statewide.

The anti-Talarico ads attack his record on taxes and his stance on rural hospitals, while the pro-Paxton ads highlight proposals such as doubling the child tax credit, allowing deductions for medical expenses and a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers.

According to The Texas Tribune, Talarico had raised $72 million since the start of his career, almost all of it from small contributions, while Paxton has raised $16.8 million.

Paxton thanks Trump

Attorney General Ken Paxton was quick to respond on social media. On Saturday he posted a message on X in response to the announcement:

"While James Talarico has a record of raising taxes on working families, my Protecting the Texas Promise Agenda cuts costs and makes life more affordable. Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for your support," he wrote. "Together we will win for Texas and America."

The message portrays the attorney general as the candidate for tax cuts and family assistance, and Talarico as a politician who raises taxes.

MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told Fox News Digital that James Talarico "wants to take money out of Texans' pockets. MAGA Inc. is going to ensure Texas knows about Talarico's radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate," he said, labeling the Democrat "High Tax Talarico."

Elon Musk enters the battle for Texas

While Donald Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., announced a $10 million investment to support Ken Paxton in his Senate race, Elon Musk has already begun making his move in Texas.

Musk's political action committee, America PAC, made its first major appearance in the midterms with an initial spending package that targets Texas as its primary focus.

According to filings with the FEC, America PAC spent $800,475 on independent expenditures between Aug. 18 and 31, distributed across various Senate and House races.

The largest portion of that amount went to Texas: about $247,595 to support Ken Paxton and target James Talarico.

Later, the same committee reported another $2.9 million for the midterms, with Texas again among the major destinations, although the filings do not specify how much of that second wave went directly to Paxton.

In total, at least a quarter of a million of the money linked to Musk has already been explicitly accounted for in the Texas Senate race, plus a portion of that $2.9 million that has not yet been broken down.

Talarico responds

For its part, Talarico's campaign responded to Fox News Digital by describing the operation as dark money backed by billionaires:

"Billionaire-backed dark money groups are lying about James Talarico because they’re scared of the people-powered movement we’re building to fix this broken, corrupt political system."

Talarico, who has called for raising taxes on the wealthiest, took the opportunity to attack the Republican Party's midterm convention, which is set to begin next week in Dallas: "Next week, billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians will gather at a convention in Dallas to clink champagne glasses and toast their own corruption."