Trump delivers $10 million to Ken Paxton in first major contribution of midterms

Updated on: September 5, 2026 / 8:24 PM EDT / CBS News

Trump delivers $10 million to Ken Paxton in first major contribution of midterms

TL;DR

  • MAGA Inc. has donated $10 million to Ken Paxton's Texas Senate campaign.
  • The donation is split between $5 million for positive ads for Paxton and $5 million for negative ads against James Talarico.
  • This is the first major midterm contribution from MAGA Inc., which has $400 million in its super PAC.
  • The funds are allocated to Del Ray Media Inc. for television and digital advertising.
  • Previous spending by MAGA Inc. has included a smaller donation to Sen. Darline Graham's campaign and minimal spending on local races.
  • President Trump has been critical of Talarico, even creating a nickname for him.
  • Ken Paxton is currently the Texas Attorney General and faces a surprisingly tight race against Talarico.
  • Paxton survived an impeachment trial in 2023.