Democrat James Talarico won the Senate race against Ken Paxton, while Gina Hinojosa captured the Texas governor's office on November 3. The losses directly countered massive investments by Elon Musk, who poured hundreds of millions into the state to secure a 51-seat Republican Senate majority. Musk had aimed to build a legislative wall against prospective 2028 Democratic initiatives, including statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. After the sweep, Musk made light of the setback on social media, jokingly proposing space-based data centers.
Key points
Texas transitioned to Democratic leadership in both the gubernatorial and Senate races af…: Texas transitioned to Democratic leadership in both the gubernatorial and Senate races after more than three decades of Republican control.
High-dollar political spending by tech executives failed to safeguard conservative contro…: High-dollar political spending by tech executives failed to safeguard conservative control over adopted corporate headquarters.
The state election results had direct national ramifications by eliminating the Republica…: The state election results had direct national ramifications by eliminating the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Some of the richest people in American politics spent heavily backing Republicans in November 3 elections but their side lost the Senate’s control. Nowhere did it sting more than in Texas where Democrat James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton for the Senate, even though Elon Musk spent a fortune to help Paxton, according to a New York Times analysis. Democrat Gina Hinojosa also won the governor’s race. For a state that has anchored the Republican map for over 30 years, it is a stunning turn. For Musk, who donated a total $474 million (nearly half a billion dollars) to Republican candidates, including more than $220 million in Texas alone in this year’s midterm elections, it is arguably his biggest political defeat.
How much Tesla CEO put in and why Texas matters to Elon Musk
Musk was the largest donor of the 2026 midterms. Most of it went to his own America PAC and to the top super PACs for Senate and House Republicans. His biggest play was in Texas, his adopted home state and the headquarters of Tesla and SpaceX.…
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