WASHINGTON — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has injected at least $276 million into Republican campaigns and political action committees since July, establishing himself as the primary financial backer of the party’s push to defend its congressional majorities in November, according to campaign finance reports and reporting by The New York Times and Reuters.
The massive late-cycle spending push lifts Musk’s overall contributions to federal committees to roughly $366 million across the 2025-2026 election cycle. The figure eclipses the $290 million he contributed during the 2024 presidential election to assist President Donald Trump, and it comes despite Musk’s public statement in May 2025 that he intended to spend “a lot less in the future” on politics.
Major boost for congressional leadership PACs
The vast majority of Musk’s third-quarter contributions targeted high-stakes legislative races. His single biggest gift was $158 million delivered to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC working to secure a Republican majority in the Senate, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, Reuters reported. The gift marks one of the largest single political donations ever recorded in U.S. history.
Musk directed another $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the primary super PAC dedicated to electing House Republicans, aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana. In addition to the congressional funds, Musk gave $10 million to the Republican Governors Association and $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Musk also sent $76 million during the third quarter to America PAC, the political committee he established in 2024. An additional $10 million went to Lone Star Liberty PAC, an outside group bolstering Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s bid for the U.S. Senate.
America PAC focuses heavily on attack ads
Rather than exclusively promoting Republican candidates, America PAC has spent the bulk of its resources running negative advertisements against Democrats, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission filings by WIRED. In Senate campaigns, the group has spent three dollars opposing Democratic candidates for every single dollar spent backing a Republican.
A major focus has been Texas, where Musk resides and where both Tesla and SpaceX maintain substantial operations. In the Lone Star State, America PAC spent upwards of $9.4 million on messages opposing Democratic nominee James Talarico, compared with roughly $1.8 million promoting Paxton, WIRED reported. Talarico led Paxton by 6 percentage points in a recent survey conducted by Marist University, while Reuters reported other recent polling shows the candidates in a dead heat.
The group has also targeted Democratic contenders in other battlegrounds, directing money against Josh Turek in Iowa, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Democratic candidates in Michigan. Outside spending records indicate America PAC spent $24.8 million across seven crucial Senate contests through early October.
High personal and political stakes
Control of Congress carries direct consequences for Musk’s private ventures. House Democrats have called for congressional investigations into his federal contracts at SpaceX, as well as scrutiny over his role directing the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump, Reuters noted. A Democratic-led Senate could also advance regulatory legislation governing artificial intelligence and social media platforms.
Super PACs are scheduled to file complete third-quarter disclosure reports on Oct. 15, which will reveal further details about non-disclosed contributors and America PAC’s total spending on field operations and canvassing. It remains uncertain whether Musk intends to invest further sums in the closing weeks before voters head to the polls.
