Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico accused Elon Musk of involvement in a campaign against him, alleging voters received misleading mailers and intimidating text messages.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 23, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
James TalaricoDemocratic U.S. Senate candidate in Texas
Elon Muskaccused of campaign involvement
The facts
Talarico received misleading mailers and intimidating text messages with black-and-white photos.2
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
James Talarico Elon Musk is trying to buy this Senate seat in Texas.1
James Talarico Every scary mailer and text Texans got about him traces back to Elon Musk.12
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
🚨🇺🇸 The surest sign a new election cycle has started? Democrats are blaming Elon for their mail again😅 James Talarico says every scary mailer and text Texans got about him traces back to one man: “ Elon Musk is trying to buy this Senate seat in Texas.” Me
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Early voting data is being released nationwide as the U.S. midterm elections approach on November 5, 2026. Democrats reportedly voted more than Republicans in early voting data released as of Friday. VoteHub predicts a large Texas voter turnout this year based on the first three full days of early voting.
Democrats, voters in early voting data; Zachary Donnini, Head of Data Science at VoteHub; VoteHub, organization analyzing early voting data
Governor Greg Abbott seeks a fourth term against State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a former Austin ISD school board president. Their education platforms differ sharply on testing, school choice, and state accountability policies.
Greg Abbott, Governor seeking fourth four-year term; Gina Hinojosa, State Representative and former Austin ISD school board president; Mike Morath, Texas education commissioner and 1 more
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appeared on 'The Will Cain Show' to discuss key political matchups in Texas and CAIR Action's support for Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa.
Greg Abbott, Texas Governor; James Talarico, Democratic candidate; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic candidate and 1 more
Elon Musk donated $76 million to Republican political groups in the first two weeks of October ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The spending heavily targeted the Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, with more than $21 million in spending for or against candidates in that race.
$$76 million for donation to Republican groups in first two weeks of October
Elon Musk, donor; America PAC, political action committee receiving donations; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate in Texas and 2 more
Early voting in Texas has drawn strong participation in the first week, with more than two million voters casting ballots by Thursday, October 22. Denton County set a record with 34,700 voters on the first day of early voting, nearly double the 2022 first-day total. Multiple large counties reported significant turnout.
Denton County voters, cast early ballots; Harris County voters, cast early ballots; Dallas County voters, cast early ballots and 3 more
El Paso County set a new record for early voting in the midterm election, surpassing its 2018 midterm early voting record. On Monday, Oct. 21, the county cast more than 17,500 ballots on the opening day of early voting, exceeding the 17,236 votes from the 2018 midterm opening day.
El Paso County Elections Department, election officials
Voters in Texas are considering candidates and issues in midterm races for governor and Senate. Democrats Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico are running competitively against Republican incumbents Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Recent polling shows Talarico ahead of Paxton and the Hinojosa-Abbott race effectively tied. A Democrat has not won statewide in Texas in over three decades.
Greg Abbott, Governor, Republican candidate; Ken Paxton, Attorney General, Republican candidate; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and 5 more
James Talarico, a Democratic Texas State House member, campaigned across Texas ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. He held rallies in Austin, the Houston area, Temple, and Galveston while running for U.S. Senate against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
$nearly $129 million for campaign funds raised
James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Texas State House member; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate; Texas Attorney General; John Whitmire, Houston Mayor; appeared at Talarico campaign event and 3 more