Elon Musk, identified as the world's richest person, has contributed tens of millions of dollars to Republican Senate candidates, with a significant portion directed towards the closely watched Texas Senate race. In September 2026 alone, Musk donated $158m to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super political action committee (Pac) backing Republican Senate candidates. This donation reportedly accounted for over half of the fund's third-quarter fundraising.
Separately, Musk gave $10m to Lone Star Liberty Pac, a committee supporting Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate in Texas. This funding was requested by Alex Latcham, president of the Senate Leadership Fund. These donations come as Republicans have reportedly been struggling to match the spending of Paxton's Democratic opponent, James Talarico.
Talarico, a progressive candidate, raised $64m in the summer, marking the largest third-quarter fundraising by a Senate candidate in history, according to Politico. Polls indicate that the two candidates are essentially tied, with some showing Talarico narrowly ahead of Paxton. The Texas Senate race is considered one of the most competitive in the country.
Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for America Pac, a political operation founded by Musk, stated that these investments allow the GOP apparatus to "get its message out so Republicans can have a fighting chance to defy history."