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Politics · October 16, 2026

Most of Ken Paxton’s Money Can Be Traced to One Man: Elon Musk

Part of: Texas Senate: Paxton vs. Talarico →
8 sources →

Recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings reveal that Elon Musk has become a primary financier for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign against Democrat James Talarico. Musk donated $158 million in September to the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), which immediately transferred the funds to 'Texas PAC' to support Paxton. These contributions come as Paxton, who defeated incumbent John Cornyn in a bitter primary, faces a competitive general election where Talarico has achieved record-breaking fundraising. Musk’s total midterm spending has surpassed $276 million, with a heavy focus on maintaining Republican control in Texas, where his major companies—Tesla, SpaceX, and X—are now based.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • Elon Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) in September ($75 million on Sept 9 and $83 million two weeks later).
  • The SLF disbursed these exact amounts to 'Texas PAC' almost immediately after receiving them.
  • Texas PAC is using the funds for pro-Paxton and anti-Talarico advertising.
  • Musk has donated over $276 million to Republican causes since July.
  • Democrat James Talarico is Ken Paxton's opponent in the Texas Senate race.
  • Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the primary election.
  • Musk’s major companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, have significant operations or headquarters in Texas.

Reported by only some outlets

  • The Texas Tribune reports that Musk reached an agreement to provide $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC if SLF provided $5 million.
  • Texas PAC has spent over $159 million on advertising, double the amount spent by Talarico’s campaign.
  • Talarico raised a record $64 million between July and September.
  • Ken Paxton has investigated Big Tech companies like Meta and Netflix but has notably avoided similar scrutiny of Musk’s company X.
  • Musk's America PAC has spent approximately $800,000 on five competitive U.S. House races in Texas.

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CadNews does not determine absolute truth or endorse political viewpoints. It compares publicly available reporting, identifies shared facts, highlights framing differences, and flags uncertainty.