Elon Musk’s super PAC made its first major publicly disclosed burst of midterm spending, dumping significant amounts of cash over a very short period of time into races Republicans virtually must win to retain control of Congress.
Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 31, Musk’s America PAC reported just over $800,000 in expenditures supporting Republican candidates and opposing their Democratic rivals — an average of roughly $70,000 per day. By far the largest concentration of Musk’s spending was in the Texas Senate race, where America PAC spent nearly $248,000 supporting Paxton and opposing Talarico.
Republicans are heading into the midterms with a massive cash advantage, but are struggling to secure advantageous positions in even traditionally Republican states such as Alaska, Iowa, Texas and Ohio, according to Fox News’ Power Rankings. Musk opening his pocketbook for the GOP, an eventuality that was once in doubt given his prior split with the president, could provide Republicans with a much-needed lifeline as November approaches.
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The bulk of the spending went toward “printing” expenses paid out to Storytellers Group, a political vendor that specializes in direct-mail work.
Over his 12-day expenditure period, Musk spent $123,000 opposing Talarico’s candidacy and about $125,000 supporting Paxton, according to a campaign finance filing released Wednesday.
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The spending, while helpful to Republicans, gives Democrats a new angle of attack to use in the districts where Musk’s PAC is deploying resources. Musk has suffered from low favorability ratings among Americans, and his efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency, likewise, proved unpopular.
Democrats running in the competitive races where Musk is spending can now credibly tie their opponents to the billionaire. Talarico, for instance, has made running against billionaire interests a focal point of his campaign, a plank that increases in relevance now that Musk has waded into his race.
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Musk’s PAC also spent a considerable amount in Maine’s Senate race, deploying roughly $135,000 against Democratic nominee Troy Jackson and about $35,000 to assist incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Collins has worked to distance herself from the Trump administration and national Republicans as she seeks re-election in a left-leaning state, an effort Musk’s spending could complicate.
Other races Musk’s PAC spent in include the Senate races in Michigan, Ohio and New Hampshire as well as a handful of competitive House races in states like New York, Florida and Wisconsin.
GOP donors, fundraisers and lawmakers are worried that their current cash advantage may not be enough to deliver victory in November. They worry that President Donald Trump may not deploy his $400 million political war chest aggressively enough.
