MAGA Inc. begins spending $403m reserve on US elections — CNBC
In the United States, the Trump-linked super PAC MAGA Inc. has begun spending its $403 million reserve on advertising ahead of the 2026 midterm elections after several months of fundraising. As CNBC reports, the funds are being directed toward competitive House and Senate races less than seven weeks before Election Day.
At the beginning of July, Democratic candidates had roughly twice as much money as Republicans in the seven most competitive Senate races: about $75 million versus $38 million. The largest gap was in Texas, where Democratic candidate James Talarico had $21.5 million, while his Republican opponent Ken Paxton had $1.8 million.
Advertising reservations
Over the past two weeks, three Trump-linked super PACs reserved more than $136.5 million in advertising for House and Senate races, CNBC calculated based on AdImpact data. The recently created No Going Back PAC reserved more than $98.5 million in advertising, focusing its spending primarily on competitive Senate races.
In Texas, MAGA Inc. allocated about $10 million, while the Elon Musk-backed America PAC allocated approximately $2.6 million, according to U.S. Federal Election Commission data. At the same time, the Republican-linked Senate Leadership Fund did not provide for spending in Texas in its $342 million April advertising plan.
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Cost of airtime
Official candidates are entitled to the lowest broadcast airtime rates during the final 60 days before a general election. Super PACs do not have this right and may pay market rates, which, according to political advertising consultants, are often two or three times higher than the rates for candidates.
Political groups began reserving autumn advertising inventory in advance. The Democratic House Majority PAC booked $272 million in 68 media markets, while the Senate Leadership Fund booked $342 million in eight Senate races. By mid-September, local television stations in key states were approaching full capacity for advertising slots, CNBC notes.
Super PACs can direct excess funds toward streaming services, digital platforms, mailings and text messages. A 2022 study covering more than 4,500 races found that television advertising in September and October had a greater impact on results than summer advertising spending.
