Talarico Says "Texas Is Not for Sale" at Austin Rally, Targeting Musk
Democrat James Talarico, the party's candidate for the US Senate in Texas, told a campaign rally at the University of Texas at Austin on October 23 that "Texas is not for sale." He accused Elon Musk of trying to buy the seat. The Guardian
Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative, is running against Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. He said Musk was bankrolling an effort to install Paxton in the Senate, and he called Paxton the most corrupt politician in Texas history. "I have a legislative record; Ken Paxton has a criminal record," Talarico said.
He also contrasted the two campaigns' funding. Talarico said his movement was supported by 1.3 million individuals, while Paxton was backed by what Talarico called "one dude."
According to federal filings, Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which transferred the same amount to Texas PAC, a Republican super PAC supporting Paxton. Super PACs are outside political committees that spend on races independently of candidates' own campaigns.
Talarico's campaign says it raised $64 million from July through September, more than triple Paxton's total, and that 97% of its donations were under $100 each. Talarico told the crowd that super PACs and billionaire mega-donors are spending $200 million to defeat his campaign, which he described as the most expensive Senate race in US history.
On the same day, Talarico's campaign released a new advertisement criticizing Musk, CNBC reported. CNBC also reported that Musk was the top spender in the 2026 election cycle.
Musk lives in Texas and has moved SpaceX, Tesla, X and other businesses there, according to the Guardian's reporting on the rally.
Talarico's campaign website sets out policy proposals that include banning super PACs, banning partisan gerrymandering, which is the drawing of electoral districts to favor one party, and banning stock trading by members of Congress. The site says he has never taken corporate PAC money and that he is running to take his fight against corruption to Washington and win power back for working people.
