AUSTIN, Texas — Billionaire Elon Musk injected $158 million into the primary super PAC backing Senate Republicans last month, providing an immense financial lifeline to Republican nominee Ken Paxton in his bid for the U.S. Senate, Federal Election Commission records show.
Filings released Thursday revealed that Musk gave $75 million to the Senate Leadership Fund on Sept. 9, followed by an additional $83 million two weeks later, CBS News reported. The Senate Leadership Fund transferred identical sums the day after each transaction to Texas PAC, an aligned committee that launched an aggressive barrage of television, radio and digital advertisements aiding Paxton and attacking his Democratic rival, state Rep. James Talarico.
The cash infusion arrived as Republicans fought to counter a well-funded challenge from Talarico in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than three decades. Recent public opinion polls show Paxton and Talarico locked in a tight contest, with the Democrat holding a narrow advantage within the margin of error.
A massive airwaves rescue
Paxton entered the general election cycle financially drained following a contentious Republican primary victory over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn earlier this year. His primary outside spending group, Lone Star Liberty PAC, held just $35,000 in cash at the end of June, according to The Texas Tribune.
Meanwhile, Talarico built a formidable war chest, collecting $64 million between July and September. That haul set a third-quarter fundraising record for any U.S. Senate candidate in history, Politico reported.
Musk’s political advisers contacted the Senate Leadership Fund after internal numbers showed Paxton losing ground, Axios reported. The discussions led to a coordination agreement where Musk contributed $10 million directly to Lone Star Liberty PAC, while the Senate Leadership Fund gave $5 million and the group matched the rest. Soon after, the committee placed $17.5 million in broadcast television advertisements to stabilize Paxton’s general election standing.
Through Texas PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund has now spent more than $159 million on advertisements, doubling Talarico’s campaign ad spending, according to data from media tracking firm AdImpact.
Deep Texas ties and national ambitions
Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, has established deep roots in Texas, relocating the corporate headquarters and key operational facilities for Tesla, SpaceX, X and The Boring Company to the state. The tech executive has also maintained a collaborative relationship with Paxton during his tenure as Texas attorney general. While Paxton pursued lawsuits and regulatory investigations against several major tech platforms, his office took action aligning with Musk’s interests, including a 2022 inquiry into fake accounts on Twitter before Musk finalized his purchase of the platform.
Musk’s midterm spending extends beyond the Senate Leadership Fund. Between July and September, Musk contributed more than $80 million to America PAC, his dedicated political committee, CBS News reported. The group reported directing $18.8 million toward the Texas Senate contest, primarily on text messaging, mailers and digital attacks against Talarico, alongside funding for competitive U.S. House races.
“If Democrats take control of Washington and win key gubernatorial and attorney general races this November, then America risks becoming a socialist, woke and borderless country,” America PAC spokesperson Andrew Romeo said in a statement. “These robust investments have allowed the GOP apparatus to get its message out so Republicans can have a fighting chance to defy history.”
Paxton has not commented publicly on the latest filings disclosing Musk’s financial backing. With early voting approaching, both national political parties view the Texas outcome as pivotal in determining which side will control the U.S. Senate next year.
