Musk's America PAC Mostly Funds Attack Ads in Key US Senate Races

Elon Musk's America PAC is directing its resources toward the most consequential US Senate races of the midterm cycle. Its approach is unusual: for each dollar spent supporting Republican candidates, almost three have gone to attacking Democrats. WIRED has built a live tracker, updated daily, that follows the committee's spending on digital ads and mailers.

The stakes are high for Republicans because Democrats could win a Senate majority if they flip four battleground seats and hold the three they currently control. For Musk, a Democratic-led Senate could mean congressional investigations aimed at him personally and an impact on his companies through tech and AI regulation bills.

Texas

In Texas, America PAC has put more than $9.4 million into ads against Democrat James Talarico and roughly $1.8 million into ads for Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton. Its largest single expenditures are two $1.3 million digital media buys opposing Talarico. The committee has spent nothing on television, which other groups such as MAGA Inc. are handling. According to Punchbowl News, the Senate Republican Conference–affiliated Texas PAC has booked about $120 million in television time.

Ohio

In Ohio, the group has spent $3.3 million against Democrat Sherrod Brown and $1.6 million for Republican Jon Husted. Husted has struggled to distance himself from data centers at a time when voters are frustrated by the costs tied to such projects. In August, the Senate Republicans' campaign arm acknowledged the issue was weighing on his polling.

Iowa

In Iowa, America PAC has spent $1.5 million against Democrat Josh Turek and only about $100,000 supporting Republican Ashley Hinson, the largest gap in the tracker. In the latest New York Times/Siena poll, Hinson leads Turek by just one point, in a seat that should be safe for Republicans.