Musk Revives Republican Midterm Spending, Plans at Least $100 Million

Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of SpaceX and Tesla, is set to resume major financial support for Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections.

Axios reported on July 30 that Musk is reviving America PAC, the super PAC he founded.

America PAC drew national attention during the 2024 presidential election, when Musk spent $260 million to help elect Donald Trump.

That made Musk the largest individual political donor ever to back a single US election. For the coming midterms, he is expected to put at least $100 million into America PAC.

The New York Times, citing multiple unnamed sources, reported that Musk approved spending of $100 million to $120 million on the PAC's new field program.

America PAC plans to focus on Senate races in five states: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan and Ohio. It is also considering races in North Carolina, Georgia and Texas.

Those contests are seen as battlegrounds that could alter the balance of power in the midterms. The PAC is also considering support for House races in California, Wisconsin and Washington.

America PAC is led by Musk political adviser Chris Young and is expected to boost turnout among conservative voters through door-to-door canvassing, digital advertising and direct mail.

During the 2024 presidential race, America PAC visited 10 million households across about six battleground states to encourage voting. James Blair, the president's senior political adviser, said, "America PAC was a key partner in our historic 2024 GOTV (Get out the vote) effort, and its return in 2026 will be a major boost for Republicans nationwide."

Musk is not expected to appear personally on the campaign trail, unlike during the 2024 presidential election and last year's Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

After that loss in Wisconsin, Musk came to believe that his high-profile role could backfire, the New York Times reported.

Ko Jeong-sam, Hankyung.com reporter, jsk@hankyung.com