Musk Spent at Least $445 Million as Democrats Won Congress

Elon Musk spent at least $445 million backing Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, but Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, leaving his favored party out of power in Congress and raising the prospect of scrutiny of his government work and businesses. A tally drawing on federal election filings and other records put Musk’s spending at $474 million through October 14. That figure may not include later contributions. Federal Election Commission filings alone showed at least $445 million, while the broader tally included Internal Revenue Service and state records. The final amount for the election cycle has not yet been established. Musk directed money through several Republican political groups, including America PAC, his own super PAC. The largest reported target was the Texas Senate race: more than $200 million went toward efforts to elect Republican Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico. Unofficial returns cited in one report gave Talarico about 55% of the vote and Paxton 43%. Texas also elected Democrat Gina Hinojosa governor, defeating Republican Greg Abbott, whom Musk had supported. After Democrats took both chambers, Musk posted on X: “Guess my...