News · Yahoo Finance

Elon Musk Expands Government Spending Footprint Ahead Of Midterm Elections

Elon Musk is tying Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX (SPCX) more closely to Washington while committing about $366 million across at least 40 races in the 2026 midterms, making him the biggest individual donor so far according to CNBC. At least $276 million of that has gone to Republican groups and his America PAC since July. SpaceX has won at least $6.78 billion in federal work so far this year, nearly double its $3.8 billion total for 2024, while Tesla is affected by federal and congressional decisions on EV tax breaks, battery subsidies and autonomous vehicle rules. Tesla delivered over 480,000 vehicles for a second straight quarter and auto margins excluding credits rose from 16.3% to 18.1%, but management said Robotaxi growth may shift to a regulatory issue in Q1 and Q2 and expects about $20 billion in capital spending this year. The article notes that Musk's political influence faded after a 2025 feud with Trump but has since returned, and that November's election could shape the rules Tesla operates under.

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MarketUS stocks
SectorConsumer Discretionary
IndustryAutomobile Manufacturers
Market cap$1.5T
Close on 10/22/2026374.58
Change that session-3.08%
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