Politics
Elon Musk’s Texas Campaign Fails as Republicans Lose Statewide Races
In November’s elections, wealthy donors poured money into Republican candidates, yet the party lost control of the Senate. The most painful loss came in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate, despite Elon Musk’s heavy spending. Democrat Gina Hinojosa also won the governor’s race. Texas, a Republican stronghold for more than three decades, turned unexpectedly blue.
Musk donated a total of $474 million to Republican candidates, including over $220 million in Texas during the 2024 midterms. Most of his contributions went to his America PAC and the top super PACs supporting Senate and House Republicans. In September alone, he gave $158 million to the Senate Republicans’ main super PAC, which was quickly routed to a super PAC backing Paxton, the state’s attorney general. America PAC also spent more than $47 million against Talarico. The New York Times estimated Musk’s total spending in Texas at roughly $224 million.
Musk said he was investing for the long game, warning that a Democratic sweep in 2028 could lead to statehood for Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, open borders, and an expanded Supreme Court, turning the U.S. into a one‑party state. He urged voters to elect Republican senators to prevent this.
Texas had been promoted by Musk as a tech-friendly alternative to California, citing lower real estate costs, a business‑friendly environment, and favorable tax policies. He moved Tesla’s headquarters to Texas in 2021 and relocated SpaceX’s incorporation from Delaware to Texas in 2024.
After the election, Musk posted jokes on X, including “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now” and “Guess my election‑interfering space lasers didn’t work this time.” He later commented “Interesting” on conservative exit polling that showed Republican voters still supporting Trump‑era immigration policies but viewing the Iran war as a losing issue.
Musk’s influence on U.S. elections has been mixed. In 2024 he spent over $290 million, mainly to help Donald Trump win the White House. In 2025 he and allied super PACs spent over $20 million on a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which his preferred candidate lost by more than 10 points.
Other billionaires also faced defeats: Vivek Ramaswamy lost Ohio’s governorship to Democrat Amy Acton after spending an estimated $36 million of his own money, and in Georgia Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms beat Republican billionaire Rick Jackson.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, who began the year with $105.7 million on hand, conceded to Hinojosa. Democrats also won both the House and the Senate. Whether Texas remains a battleground remains to be seen, but Republicans can no longer assume their voters.