# Republicans bet Musk’s millions can rescue Texas’ Ken Paxton

> Elon Musk’s $158m donation fuels Texas Senate race to save Ken Paxton.
- Title: Republicans bet Musk’s millions can rescue Texas’ Ken Paxton
- Summary: Elon Musk’s $158m donation fuels Texas Senate race to save Ken Paxton. Elon Musk’s $158 million contribution to Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton’s campaign…
- Keywords: elon musk, ken paxton, texas senate, republican party, musk donation, texas politics, senate race, political spending, news, world, Republicans, bet
- Source: The Straits Times — https://straitstimes.com/world/united-states/republicans-bet-musks-millions-can-rescue-texas-ken-paxton-in-us-senate-race
- Published: 2026-10-21T13:20:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: elon musk, ken paxton, texas senate, republican party, musk donation, texas politics, senate race, political spending, news, world
## Texas Senate race
Republicans bet Musk’s millions can rescue Texas’ Ken Paxton in US Senate race.
## Paxton’s impeachment
Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 on abuse-of-office allegations but was acquitted by the state Senate.
## Musk’s $158m contribution
Elon Musk contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which transferred matching sums to Texas PAC.
## Republican spending surge
Republicans have spent more than US$500 million overall, with heavy use of culture-war ads to boost turnout.
## Talarico’s grassroots fundraising
James Talarico raised US$64 million from July to September, more than triple Paxton’s total.
## Culture-war ad attacks
Texas PAC ads claim Talarico supports taxpayer-funded sex-change surgeries for minors.
## Paxton’s fraud cases
Paxton faces renewed scrutiny over past impeachment and fraud cases, which he denies.
## Voter sentiment
Polls show few undecided voters remain, with Republicans struggling to turn out their base.
## Key takeaway

Elon Musk’s $158 million contribution to Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton’s campaign may help him overcome Republican spending challenges in the November election.