Musk gave $158 million to Senate GOP fund, which routed it to pro-Paxton Texas PAC

Elon Musk gave $158 million in September to the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, which then transferred matching amounts to a Texas PAC supporting Senate candidate Ken Paxton, according to federal filings described by CBS News on Oct. 15. The donations helped the national group report a record fundraising quarter as it approached the Nov. 3 election.

CBS News reported that Musk gave the Senate Leadership Fund $75 million on Sept. 9 and another $83 million two weeks later. The fund sent each amount to Texas PAC the following day. That PAC supports Paxton and opposes Democratic candidate James Talarico, making the transfers a direct link between Musk’s national giving and the Texas contest.

A record quarter for the Senate Leadership Fund

The Senate Leadership Fund raised $272.9 million from July through September, including $209.7 million from donors, CNBC reported, citing a federal filing disclosed Thursday. It had more than $155 million in cash entering the final weeks of the campaign. Musk’s $158 million accounted for a substantial share of the quarter’s donor receipts.

CNBC’s review of filings found that the quarter surpassed the fund’s previous quarterly high of about $216 million in late 2020. Its third-quarter totals were nearly $116 million in 2024 and $111 million in 2022. For comparison, the Democratic Senate Majority PAC reported raising $151 million in the latest quarter and holding $111.8 million in cash. Musk’s contribution alone exceeded that group’s quarterly fundraising.

How the money fits into the Texas race

Talarico announced a $64 million third-quarter fundraising haul Thursday, while Paxton reported raising $10.2 million in a federal filing, according to CNBC. Those are candidate fundraising figures; the separate spending by outside groups adds another layer to the contest. Citing AdImpact data, CNBC reported that Republican groups spent roughly $122 million in Texas in September and had another $66 million in advertising reserved through Election Day as of early October.

Musk also gave more than $80 million to his own America PAC from July through September, CBS News reported. That group reported spending in the Texas Senate contest and other competitive congressional races. Its spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, said the investments were intended to help Republicans communicate their message and compete in November.

The Senate Leadership Fund’s spending extends beyond Texas. CNBC reported that it paused additional advertising in North Carolina after spending more than $30 million there and redirected resources toward Kansas, where Republican Sen. Roger Marshall faced a competitive challenge. CNBC also reported a $15 million commitment in Nebraska to defend Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, including $7 million through an affiliated group, citing the Wall Street Journal for that commitment.