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Business & Finance · October 22, 2026

Talarico Spars With Musk—Accuses Him Of Trying To ‘Buy’ Texas Senate Seat

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

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and Elon Musk engaged in a public dispute on X after Musk's substantial financial support for Republican opponent Ken Paxton was highlighted. Musk posted that there is "something deeply wrong with Talarico," leading Talarico to respond that there is something wrong with a political system that allows a "trillionaire to buy his own personal U.S. Senator." Reports indicate Musk donated approximately $158 million to a Republican super PAC that redirected funds to support Paxton's campaign.

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Reported by multiple outlets

  • James Talarico (D) is running for a Texas Senate seat against Ken Paxton (R).
  • Elon Musk publicly criticized Talarico on the social media platform X.
  • Talarico accused Musk of attempting to 'buy' a U.S. Senate seat.
  • Musk is a significant financial supporter of PACs benefiting Paxton's campaign.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund in September.
  • The Senate Leadership Fund transferred money to the Texas PAC, which supports Paxton.
  • Current polls show Talarico leading the race against Paxton.
  • The exchange occurred following Talarico's campaign speech at the University of Houston.

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