Elon Musk has spent $366 million on the 2026 US midterm elections — including $276 million directed to Republican groups and his own super PAC since July — in an effort to help Republicans retain control of Congress, according to figures first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by a spokesman for Musk's America PAC. The spending arrives about three weeks before the Nov 3 midterms and makes Musk likely the single biggest political donor of this year's races, Reuters reported.
Where Musk's $276 Million Went
The $276 million distributed since July breaks down, per the reported figures, as $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main GOP Senate super PAC aligned with Majority Leader John Thune — one of the largest political donations in US history; $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the main House GOP super PAC aligned with Speaker Mike Johnson; $76 million to America PAC, Musk's own super PAC, which deployed roughly 3,000 paid canvassers the week of Oct 5 and says it knocked about 6.5 million doors; $10 million to the Lone Star Liberty PAC backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for US Senate; $10 million to the Republican Governors Association; and $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association.
America PAC is active in seven Senate battlegrounds and nearly three dozen House races, Reuters reported. About $90 million of the $366 million total went to prior-election work or other causes, including the failed Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate and America PAC's $1 million petition-signer payouts, according to America PAC's spokesman. Because Musk has also donated through groups that do not disclose donors, the real total is higher and unknown.
A Record That Already Tops 2024
Musk spent roughly $290 million during the 2024 election cycle backing Donald Trump over Kamala Harris — a record sum that this cycle's $366 million already exceeds, per Reuters.
The spending also marks a reversal. In May 2025, Musk said he had "done enough" and would do "a lot less" political spending, after falling out with Trump over the tax-and-domestic-policy law while leaving his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency. The two later reconciled: Trump presented Musk with the National Medal of Science last week, per CNN.
Why It Matters
Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats, and a narrow roughly 218-214 House majority, with Democrats needing a net gain of about three. Generic-ballot averages have Democrats up roughly 7-8 points, and prediction models give Democrats about a 90% chance of taking the House, with the Senate contest closer, according to Ballotpedia-based analysis cited by the Delaware News Journal.
Musk has a personal stake in the outcome: House Democrats have called for investigations into his SpaceX government contracts and his work running the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump. A Democratic House would likely intensify that oversight.
The takeaway: with three weeks until the midterms, one billionaire's money has become one of the central forces in the fight for Congress — and a test of how far private wealth can move American elections.
Watch: CNN-News18's video report on Elon Musk's $276 million midterm gamble — where the money is flowing, which races it could decide, and what it says about the growing role of billionaires in US elections.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Lightless Dawn (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- Reuters: Musk has spent $366 million to help Republicans retain control of Congress
- CNN: Elon Musk emerges as the top booster for Republicans with $276 million in donations
- Fast Company: Elon Musk donates $276 million to save Republicans in midterms
- Delaware Online: Who is winning the 2026 midterms? Latest House and Senate outlook