Musk poised to deploy up to $200 million for Texas midterm voter turnout

Elon Musk is anticipated to spend between $100 million and $200 million to support Republican candidates in the 2026 United States midterm elections, according to Trump officials briefed on the matter. The financial injection is expected to focus on voter turnout operations in key races, particularly in Texas, where the outcome of the Senate race could determine which party controls the US Senate.

The planned cash injection or in-kind contributions would provide a significant boost to Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who has struggled to raise funds comparable to his Democratic opponent. According to the latest Federal Election Commission filings, James Talarico has raised approximately $69 million, while Paxton has raised only $9 million. Paxton lagged behind in contributions during his primary against Senator John Cornyn and has fared little better since becoming the nominee, despite an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

To date, neither of the two largest national Republican entities has committed to spending on Paxton. The Senate Leadership Fund is run by allies of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who supported Cornyn, while MAGA Inc has not released its spending plans. This lack of support from major party groups contrasts with the broader fundraising landscape, where Democrats in close races have generally out-raised their Republican counterparts this cycle.

Musk’s projected spend adds to the Republican National Committee’s $128 million war chest, which stands in contrast to the Democratic National Committee’s $2 million debt. The two main Republican super PACs for House and Senate races hold $380 million, compared to $116 million for Democrats. Additionally, MAGA Inc has about $400 million on hand, with no Democratic equivalent. A spokesperson for America PAC declined to comment on the group’s spending plans, although the New York Times previously reported that Musk had authorised his PAC to spend at least $100 million for the 2026 midterms.

The effectiveness of Musk’s voter turnout operations remains a point of contention. In the 2024 election, the Trump campaign outsourced field operations to America PAC, which paid third-party canvassing firms more than $46 million across several battleground states to turn out “low propensity” voters. While Trump swept all six battleground states, officials were unconvinced that the victory was a result of America PAC’s work with paid canvassers, attributing the success more to Trump’s celebrity appeal and ability to turn out his base.

The 2024 America PAC operation also faced complaints from workers who claimed they had been tricked and threatened with having to pay for their own lodging unless they hit massive quotas. America PAC and Musk did not respond to requests for comment at the time, and the precise amount of Musk’s spending for the 2026 cycle could still change.