Musk Commits $76 Million to America PAC Ahead of Midterm Vote

Elon Musk is doubling down on the 2026 midterm elections with a massive financial injection into his personal political committee just weeks before voters head to the polls. According to a pre-election report filed with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday evening, Musk contributed more than $76 million to America PAC during the first two weeks of October. This move significantly boosts the group’s capacity to influence Republican candidates in the final stretch of the campaign.

The rapid expenditure is already visible in the group’s spending habits. In that same two-week period, America PAC spent nearly $43 million and still holds approximately $47 million in cash reserves as it enters the final phase of the race. The Texas Senate contest emerged as the primary recipient of this new funding, absorbing $15.2 million. This amount is double what the PAC had spent in that state throughout the summer, signaling a strategic shift toward the state’s pivotal election.

Within Texas, the spending was heavily skewed toward negative campaigning against Democratic candidate James Talarico. The PAC allocated $12.4 million to attack Talarico, compared to just $2.8 million spent promoting his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton. Daily filings released since the initial report indicate that an additional $9.1 million has been deployed against Talarico, bringing his total spending against the Democrat to nearly $28 million for the cycle. This figure represents roughly 40 percent of everything America PAC has spent either supporting or opposing candidates.

The group has also adjusted its media strategy, moving toward digital platforms. America PAC spent $11.4 million on online advertisements during the two-week reporting period. This digital outlay is nearly equivalent to the combined costs of its traditional mail and texting campaigns. Overall, Musk has now given more than $445 million to Republican political groups in this election cycle, according to an analysis of FEC filings, cementing his status as the largest known individual donor in the midterms. More than $165 million of that total went to America PAC since July alone.

Musk has personally engaged in the Texas race, using social media to criticize Talarico. On Wednesday, he posted on X that “there is something deeply wrong with Talarico,” later describing him as “a creep” and claiming without evidence that the Democrat “would vote to take away your kids and transition them.” Earlier in the month, Musk amplified an unverified claim that Talarico had received treatment at a mental health facility. Talarico responded to the attacks the same day, stating: “There is something deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal US Senator.”

Despite the heavy spending, the Texas race remains competitive. An Emerson College poll of 1,000 likely Texas voters, conducted between October 17 and 19, found Talarico leading by two points at 48 percent, with Paxton at 46 percent. This margin is within the poll’s three-point margin of error, keeping the election in a toss-up status.

The implications of the midterms extend beyond Texas for Musk, who has companies including Tesla and SpaceX based in the state. If Democrats secure the House, lawmakers positioned to lead key committees have indicated they will investigate his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as well as his companies’ federal contracts. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, has described the number of conflicts of interest as “astounding.” Unified Democratic control of Congress would pose even greater challenges for Musk.

Silicon Valley Democrats have also targeted SpaceX’s Starshield satellite service in Ukraine. In a letter to the White House demanding an investigation, Representatives Sam Liccardo, Jimmy Panetta, and Ro Khanna vowed that the next Congress “will closely scrutinize federal funding awarded to Mr. Musk’s businesses.” America PAC declined to comment on the new filings or strategy.