Elon Musk's millions fail to deliver Texas for the Republicans in fierce midterms
The billionaire's political action committee (Pac) contributed $47m (£35m) to Ken Paxton's campaign.
Democrat James Talarico's decisive win in the Texas Senate race marked a major upset for Republicans in the 2022 midterms, including for Elon Musk. The billionaire's political action committee contributed $47 million to Republican candidate Ken Paxton's campaign, adding to the $158 million he had given the Senate Leadership Fund in September.
Despite Musk's significant financial backing, the seat turned Democrat for the first time since 1988. Talarico's acceptance speech emphasized that "all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas." Musk humorously commented on his unsuccessful campaign interference, joking about his "space lasers" not working. The Democrats' victory in Congress was seen as a rejection of Trump's Republican Party.
Musk has increasingly made Texas a hub for his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. As the top individual donor in this year's midterms, Musk contributed an estimated $446 million to Republican candidates through Super PACs, which can raise unlimited funds independently.
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