Elon Musk gave $158 million to Senate GOP group helping Paxton - The Texas Tribune
Elon Musk donated $158 million to a Senate GOP super PAC to support Ken Paxton's campaign in the Texas Senate race. These funds were used to significantly outspend Democratic opponent James Talarico in advertising.
Why it matters
The massive influx of private capital into a single Senate race highlights the growing influence of individual billionaires on U.S. electoral outcomes.
WASHINGTON — After months of being outspent by Democrat James Talarico on the airwaves, Republicans launched a massive rescue mission for Ken Paxton in September, dropping over $200 million to boost their U.S. Senate candidate in Texas.
New campaign finance filings revealed that much of the advertising flurry was funded by one highly motivated donor: Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man.
Musk, who lives near the SpaceX Starbase facility in South Texas, appears to have poured nearly $190 million into the U.S. Senate race in his adopted home state. His role in financing Paxton’s air support was disclosed in reports filed Thursday to the Federal Election Commission by Senate Leadership Fund, the Senate GOP’s main super PAC and the biggest spender in Texas’ Senate contest.
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