Elon Musk gives over $276 million to Republican groups ahead of US midterms

Record donations to Republican groups

Elon Musk has given more than $276 million to Republican groups and his own super PAC since early July, according to figures his representatives provided to the New York Times before an early-October filing deadline. The money covers donations made between early July and the end of September. The New York Times describes Musk as the largest known donor to the midterm campaign, and says his contribution to the Senate Leadership Fund alone exceeded everything its Democratic counterpart raised in the same quarter. Some of his money went to groups that do not have to disclose their donors, so the publicly known sums do not show the full total. The donations could also cement Musk's role in US politics ahead of the 2028 presidential election, according to the New York Times.

Where the money went

The largest share, $158 million, went to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main outside committee backing Republican Senate candidates. America PAC, the super PAC Musk founded in 2024, received $76 million, which it uses to fund a network that mobilizes conservative voters. Smaller sums went to the Congressional Leadership Fund ($20 million), Lone Star Liberty PAC ($10 million, supporting Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race), the Republican Governors Association ($10 million) and the Republican Attorneys General Association ($2 million). America PAC is active in seven states with decisive Senate contests and in nearly 30 House races.

A door-to-door push in Texas

Texas sits at the centre of the operation, and America PAC has directed about a third of its spending there, according to Open. The group pays nearly 3,000 workers who knock on doors to reach conservative voters who rarely turn out. Its messages attack Democratic candidates on transgender issues and socialism, and flyers accuse Democrat James Talarico of pushing a radical transgender agenda. Musk lives in Austin, and his companies Tesla and SpaceX are also based in Texas. According to Der Tagesspiegel, no Democrat has been elected to the US Senate from Texas since 1988, yet several polls show Talarico ahead of Paxton, the Republican incumbent, who was renominated despite corruption scandals and has the backing of Trump.

A lower profile than in 2024

Musk is far less visible than in the 2024 campaign, when he was among the main financiers of Trump's re-election with about $290 million, according to Open. The New York Times counts only four direct posts by Musk on X this year backing candidates in contested races, and no public rallies or large cheque handovers have taken place. The current effort follows a break with Trump in May 2025, when Musk attacked the administration's large spending and tax-cut package. The two have since reconciled, and they have appeared together again and praised each other in public. Inside America PAC, Musk gives his collaborators more room to run the political organization.

Midterms and the Democratic lead

The midterm elections are on 3 November, and polls show Democrats ahead in both the Senate and the House, according to N-tv and Der Tagesspiegel. Der Tagesspiegel says Democrats would likely win back majorities in both chambers if the election proceeds normally, while N-tv reports that Republicans could lose their majority in at least one chamber. According to the New York Times, no Democratic billionaire is spending anything close to Musk's sums, which gives Republicans a financial advantage in the weeks before the vote. The spending is intended to fund advertising and local campaigns in those final weeks.