Elon Musk’s reported $474 million in contributions to Republican-aligned super PACs did not produce the victories he sought in the 2026 midterms. The spending, much of it directed toward Texas, was aimed at supporting Republican candidates and funding a large volume of campaign advertising.
The article says Musk’s political operation targeted Democrats including James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan with negative ads. But, according to voting totals cited on Wednesday morning, Talarico was ahead by 13 points, while El-Sayed won by around eight percentage points.
Other results described in the article included Sherrod Brown regaining a seat in Ohio and Gina Hinojosa becoming Texas’s first Latina governor. Democrats also flipped numerous House districts and were expected to hold at least 53 Senate seats, according to the report.
Musk responded overnight with a sarcastic post about his “election-interfering space lasers.” The article also reported that shares of Tesla and SpaceX began falling when markets opened on Wednesday. Both companies have ties to government contracts and incentives, it noted.
The report says Texas Democratic strategists built Talarico’s campaign around direct communication with voters, including social media and public appearances, to reduce the impact of a late surge in advertising. Musk’s spending also played a role in the Republican primary, helping Ken Paxton defeat incumbent John Cornyn, according to the article.
Democrats have signaled that, with control of Congress, they may investigate Musk. Representative Zoe Lofgren previously accused Musk and his DOGE associates of contributing to government disruption, grant cancellations and civil-service firings. The article says Tesla and SpaceX could face scrutiny because of their reliance on federal contracts and government incentives.
Sources: Rolling Stone.