Story perspectives

Talarico Accuses Musk of $158M Support for Paxton

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 10:34 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

James Talarico (U.S.) accused Elon Musk of spending $158 million to aid Republican Ken Paxton.
Musk is the largest donor to Paxton, contributing over $190 million to the Senate race.
Harris County early voting recorded nearly 105,000 ballots on day one, surpassing the 63,000 2018 record.
Nate Silver’s aggregated polls show Talarico holding a narrow lead over Paxton as Election Day approaches.

History

Historical Context

Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision removed limits on corporate and union election spending, super-PACs have flourished and federal campaign costs jumped to $14 billion in 2020. Building on that framework, Elon Musk poured $277 million into the 2024 cycle, including backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, reviving calls for stricter finance reform.

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Story summary

James Talarico (U.S.) accused Elon Musk of spending $158 million to aid Republican Ken Paxton.
Musk is the largest donor to Paxton, contributing over $190 million to the Senate race.
Harris County early voting recorded nearly 105,000 ballots on day one, surpassing the 63,000 2018 record.
Nate Silver’s aggregated polls show Talarico holding a narrow lead over Paxton as Election Day approaches.

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