Elon Musk pours hundreds of millions into Texas Senate race amid rising tech influence
Elon Musk has spent roughly $276 million on Republican candidates, with $158 million directed to a Senate Leadership Committee that supports Texas GOP candidate Ken Paxton.
Elon Musk’s political outlays have surged, with reportedly $276 million spent on Republican candidates in about three months, including $158 million routed through a Senate Leadership Committee to back Texas GOP hopeful Ken Paxton. This spending dwarfs his earlier $290 million effort for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. The piece links Musk’s financial influence to his control of X, where he has promoted extremist accounts, and contrasts it with Meta’s alleged bias in Instagram content moderation involving Brazilian politicians. Additional concerns include SpaceX’s alleged throttling of Ukraine’s Starshield satellite service and broader tech-industry censorship tactics, all unfolding as voters head to the polls on Nov. 3.
Why it matters
Musk’s massive spending and platform control could shape the outcome of a pivotal Senate race and influence broader political discourse.
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