Musk gives $276M to Republicans, top donor of midterms

Elon Musk has given more than $276 million to Republican groups since July, making him the largest known donor of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, The Associated Press reported on Oct. 12, 2026, citing figures first published by the New York Times.

The biggest single piece, $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which backs Republican Senate candidates, was described by the Times as one of the largest known political donations in U.S. history, according to the AP account. Midterm voting is on Nov. 3.

Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for Musk’s America PAC, confirmed the figures to the Times, the AP said. The National Desk, citing a report by The Hill, said Romeo also put Musk’s total for the cycle at $366 million so far.

The AP listed three recipients: $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, $76 million to America PAC, and $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, which supports Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton. The National Desk, citing The Hill, also named $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which backs House candidates, $10 million to the Republican Governors Association and $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Those amounts add up to $276 million, but the two accounts differ on the America PAC figure. The AP described $76 million as part of the three-month total, while The National Desk said America PAC has received more than $76 million since Musk launched it for the 2024 election. Canada News Media has not read the underlying Federal Election Commission filings, so the breakdown rests on the reporting above.

In July, The National Desk reported, Musk authorized America PAC to spend $100 million to $120 million on a conservative voter-turnout field program. The AP said the PAC is running a door-knocking operation similar to the one it used in 2024.

Romeo said the spending has helped Republicans. “These robust investments have allowed the G.O.P. apparatus to get its message out,” he told the Times, according to both outlets. The AP quoted him as saying Republicans can now “defy history.”

Democrats criticized the spending. Lauren French, a spokesperson for the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC, said Republicans are “hoping to buy these elections, injecting tens of millions into races” to offset unpopular candidates, a president and an economy, the AP reported.

The Senate Leadership Fund, Congressional Leadership Fund, Republican Governors Association, Republican Attorneys General Association and Lone Star Liberty PAC did not respond to The Hill’s requests for comment, The National Desk reported.

The donations reverse an earlier stance. In May 2025, after leaving his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk said he had “done enough” in politics, the AP reported. The Hill, as relayed by The National Desk, reported that he later said he “got carried away” and was “a little too involved in politics.” Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump fell out publicly that month, but both outlets reported that the two have since reconciled, and Trump presented Musk with the National Medal of Science last week.

The AP said Republicans hold a large financial advantage over Democrats heading into the final weeks, and that they are using the money to saturate airwaves. It described the party as facing possible major losses amid voter frustration over the president’s performance, high prices and the war with Iran.

For Canadians, Musk is already a familiar political figure. Prime Minister Mark Carney rebuked him earlier this month after he urged Quebec to separate, as Canada News Media reported on Oct. 10. No reporting reviewed for this article links the midterm donations to Canada.

What to watch next: the AP said the Times reported the figures ahead of this week’s federal filing deadline, and the filings themselves will show whether the recipient breakdown above holds. The reports reviewed for this article did not include a comment from Musk himself.

Via The Associated Press (as published by NBC Washington) and The National Desk, which cited The Hill and the New York Times.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.