Musk Dumps Record Cash Into Ken Paxton's Senate Run

Elon Musk is pouring unprecedented sums into the Texas Senate race, and Ken Paxton is the beneficiary. As the New York Times reports, new filings show Musk wired $158 million in two installments in September to the Senate Leadership Fund, which on the next day after each transfer sent matching amounts to Texas PAC, a group created to boost Paxton's campaign. Musk's spending is part of what the Texas Tribune calls "a massive rescue mission for Ken Paxton," with the Republican candidate's coffers swelling by over $200 million in GOP donations in September alone.

The billionaire, a Texas resident with significant business interests in the Lone Star State, also gave $10 million to a separate pro-Paxton super PAC that helped launch TV ads in late August. The cash has helped Paxton stay financially viable against Democrat James Talarico, even as Talarico has raised far more money overall; the Times notes that Musk's political contributions amount to some of the largest in US history. The race has Republicans anxious about losing a statewide contest in Texas for the first time in more than 30 years. On the trail, Talarico has criticized the sway of ultra-wealthy donors like Musk, who has recently attacked him on X.