Musk Injects $76 Million Into Texas Midterm Battle

Elon Musk is pouring an estimated $76 million into the final stretch of the midterm elections, with the Texas Senate contest absorbing the largest share of the new funds. The billionaire’s personal political committee, America PAC, filed a report with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday evening that reveals this substantial infusion during the first two weeks of October. This latest move solidifies his position as the most significant individual donor in the current election cycle, according to an analysis of FEC filings.

The spending breakdown highlights a strategic focus on digital platforms and targeted attacks in the Lone Star State. Of the $76 million deposited, the group spent nearly $43 million in that two-week window. As the campaign entered its final phase, the committee held nearly $47 million in cash reserves. The Texas race alone accounted for $15.2 million of that new expenditure, which is double the amount the PAC had spent in the state throughout the entire summer.

The allocation of funds in Texas was heavily skewed toward the Democratic candidate, James Talarico. The committee directed $12.4 million of the new spending to attack Talarico, while only $2.8 million was used to promote Republican opponent Ken Paxton. Daily filings submitted after the initial report indicate an additional $9.1 million has been spent against Talarico. This brings the total spending against him this cycle to nearly $28 million, representing about 40 percent of everything America PAC has spent to support or oppose candidates.

There has also been a noticeable shift in the medium of communication. The PAC spent $11.4 million on digital ads in the same two-week period. This digital spend was close to the total amount the committee invested in mail and texting combined, signaling a pivot toward online outreach for the final push before the election.

Since July, more than $165 million from Musk has flowed into America PAC. In total, he has contributed over $445 million to various Republican political groups this cycle. America PAC declined to comment on the new filings. Musk, whose major companies including Tesla and SpaceX are headquartered in Texas, has also been vocal online about the race. On Wednesday, he posted on X that there is something deeply wrong with Talarico, calling him a creep and claiming without evidence that the candidate would vote to take away people's kids and transition them.

The personal attacks have drawn a sharp response from the Democratic side. Earlier in the month, Musk amplified a claim that Talarico had been treated at a mental health facility, a statement he said was false. Talarico responded to the social media barrage by saying that there is something deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal U.S. Senator.

Despite the heavy spending, the Texas Senate race remains statistically close. An Emerson College poll of 1,000 likely Texas voters, conducted from October 17 to 19, found Talarico leading 48 percent to Paxton’s 46 percent. This margin falls within the poll’s three-point margin of error, keeping the race in the toss-up category as election day approaches.

The stakes for Musk extend well beyond the outcome in Texas. If Democrats secure the House, lawmakers poised to lead key committees have indicated they will investigate his role in the Department of Government Efficiency, his companies’ federal contracts, and what California Democrat Zoe Lofgren described as an astounding number of conflicts of interest. Unified Democratic control of Congress would pose even greater challenges for the billionaire.

Silicon Valley Democrats have also identified another target for scrutiny. On Friday, Representatives Sam Liccardo, Jimmy Panetta, and Ro Khanna sent a letter to the White House demanding an investigation into restrictions on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite service in Ukraine. The group vowed that the next Congress will closely scrutinize federal funding awarded to Mr. Musk’s businesses.