Musk’s record midterm spending failed to deliver Texas for Republicans
Elon Musk emerged as the largest donor in American electoral history by reportedly spending more than $445 million to support Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. Much of that spending focused on Texas, where Musk resides and where Tesla is headquartered.
The money was not enough to deliver the state for Republicans. Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico defeated Republican incumbent Ken Paxton, flipping the seat, while more than $573 million was spent on advertising by the candidates and their aligned political action committees.
The result illustrates the limits of political spending in the 2026 midterms: even an unprecedented concentration of funds around one donor failed to overcome the outcome in one of the country’s most closely watched and expensive Senate races.