Musk Sends $76M to Texas Senate Fight in Final Midterm Push

Elon Musk transferred more than $76 million to his personal political committee, America PAC, during the first two weeks of October. The Federal Election Commission filing, submitted Thursday evening, details the cash infusion as the midterm campaign enters its final phase. The committee spent nearly $43 million during that same period and now holds almost $47 million in cash.

The Texas Senate contest received the largest share of the new outlay. America PAC allocated $15.2 million to the race, double its total summer spending for that state. Of that sum, $12.4 million went toward ads attacking Democratic candidate James Talarico. Another $2.8 million supported Republican challenger Ken Paxton. Subsequent daily filings indicate an additional $9.1 million was directed against Talarico, bringing the committee's total spending against the Democrat to nearly $28 million this cycle.

The committee has also shifted its advertising strategy. It spent $11.4 million on digital ads in the two-week window, a figure close to its combined spending on mail and texting. According to Wired’s analysis, Musk has contributed more than $445 million to Republican political groups this election cycle. More than $165 million of that amount has gone to America PAC since July. The PAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Musk has also engaged directly in the race via social media. On Wednesday, he wrote on X that Talarico is "a creep" and claimed the candidate "would vote to take away your kids and transition them." He did not provide evidence for the latter claim. Earlier in the month, Musk amplified a false report that Talarico had been treated at a mental health facility. Talarico responded on the same day, stating, "There is something deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal US Senator."

The race remains competitive. An Emerson College poll conducted October 17 to 19 among 1,000 likely Texas voters placed Talarico at 48 percent and Paxton at 46 percent. The margin of error is three points.

The outcome carries consequences beyond the Senate seat. If Democrats gain the House, committee chairs have indicated they will investigate Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency and the federal contracts held by his companies. California Representative Zoe Lofgren described the number of conflicts of interest as "astounding." A letter from Representatives Sam Liccardo, Jimmy Panetta, and Ro Khanna warned that the next Congress will scrutinize federal funding for Musk’s businesses, specifically citing restrictions on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite service in Ukraine.