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Billionaire Elon Musk donated $158 cardinal past period to the main ace PAC supporting Senate Republicans, which astir instantly sent the wealth to a radical that supports GOP Texas Senate campaigner Ken Paxton, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Republicans are warring to clasp connected to the Texas Senate seat, arsenic polls constituent to a choky contention betwixt Paxton and Democratic hostile James Talarico.
The assistance from Musk — on with tens of millions of dollars successful donations to different groups — marks a decisive instrumentality to large-scale governmental giving for the world's richest man, who spent implicit a 4th of a cardinal dollars backing President Trump and different Republican candidates successful 2024.
Musk donated $75 cardinal to the Senate Leadership Fund PAC connected Sept. 9, and $83 cardinal 2 weeks later, the radical reported Thursday. Combined, the 2 super-sized donations from Musk made up much than fractional of the ace PAC's full receipts successful the 3rd 4th of this year.
One time aft each donation, the Senate Leadership Fund PAC disbursed the aforesaid magnitude to Texas PAC. That radical reported implicit $100 cardinal successful pro-Paxton and anti-Talarico spending.
Musk besides donated much than $80 cardinal from July to September to his ain group, America PAC, which was the superior conveyance for his governmental giving successful 2024. The radical reported spending connected the Texas Senate contention and respective different competitory legislature races.
Musk — who has strongly criticized Talarico successful caller weeks — is simply a nonmigratory of Texas, and his largest companies, SpaceX and Tesla, basal galore of their operations successful the state.
Talarico is attempting to go the archetypal Democrat to triumph a statewide contention successful Texas successful much than 3 decades. He has sought to capitalize connected Paxton's past of scandal, and connected still-lingering divides among Texas Republicans aft Paxton defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn successful a bitter superior contention earlier this year. Paxton and his allies, including Mr. Trump, person argued Talarico is excessively acold to the near for Texas' electorate.
Most caller polls amusement Talarico with a within-the-margin-of-error lead. If Paxton loses the seat, it could woody a superior stroke to Republicans' efforts to clasp connected to the Senate.
After Musk served arsenic the country's apical governmental donor successful the 2024 cycle, it was initially unclear whether helium planned to walk akin sums successful aboriginal elections. His stint starring the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency ended with him concisely feuding with the president, and helium suggested astatine 1 constituent past year that helium planned to standard backmost his governmental spending, joking during 1 interview, "I deliberation I've done enough."
America PAC spokesperson Andrew Romeo said successful a connection to CBS News: "If Democrats instrumentality power of Washington and triumph cardinal gubernatorial and lawyer wide races this November, past America risks becoming a socialist, woke and borderless country. These robust investments person allowed the G.O.P. apparatus to get its connection retired truthful Republicans tin person a warring accidental to defy history."
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Is Texas' Senate contention a cleanable tempest for Democrats?
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