'Texas Is Not for Sale': Talarico Targets Elon Musk's Spending in Senate Race

James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas, took direct aim at Elon Musk at a campaign rally on Friday at the University of Texas at Austin, his alma mater, declaring that "Texas is not for sale" and warning that the tech billionaire is trying to buy political influence in one of the most closely watched races of next month's midterms, The Guardian reported. Hundreds of students and other supporters packed the auditorium, cheering and waving campaign signs.

The donor at the center of the attack was Musk. According to federal filings reported by The Guardian, Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which transferred the same amount to Texas PAC, a Republican super PAC supporting Talarico's opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. "Elon Musk is trying to buy the Senate seat," Talarico told the crowd. "We just found out that the richest man in the world is almost single-handedly bankrolling this effort to install Ken Paxton in the US Senate and stop the movement that we are building in our state." Talarico's campaign says it raised $64 million from July through September — more than triple Paxton's total, by the campaign's count — with 97% of its donations under $100 and support from 1.3 million individuals, a contrast Talarico summarized as his movement against "one dude."

Talarico, a 37-year-old Presbyterian seminarian and state representative, also went directly at Paxton, describing him in the rally speech as the most corrupt politician in the state's history and saying, "I have a legislative record; Ken Paxton has a criminal record" — the candidate's own characterization of an opponent who was impeached by his own party over corruption accusations. Musk has answered on X, where he attacked Talarico in posts this week; the two campaigns' fight over money and influence has become the race's defining argument with early voting under way.

The Houston end of the same Friday push played out at Texas Southern University, where Talarico joined Houston rapper Monaleo and local officials as TSU students marched together to vote during homecoming weekend, Bossip reported. "Proud to welcome @themonaleo and @jamestalarico to Texas Southern University," Christian D. Menefee wrote on X. "Amazing to see so many students marching together to the voting booth to make their voices heard at the ballot box." An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey released October 22 and cited by The Guardian found Talarico leading Paxton 48% to 46% ahead of the November 3 election, which will help decide control of the Senate.