Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'

Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.

1 minute read

November 6, 2026, 5:00 AM PST

By Zachary Whalen


Elon Musk in front of a sign for Grok 3

The day after the election, Musk wrote on X: “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now.” | bella1105

Despite Elon Musk spending roughly $446 million on the 2026 midterm election, the most ever spent by a non-canidate, nearly all of his preferred candidates lost. Now, with Texas Democrat Gina Hinojosa besting Greg Abbott in the state’s gubernatorial race, Musk’s plans for an army of data centers in Texas are particularly in doubt.

Politico reports:

“Amid data center backlash all across the country, Texas was supposed to be an AI oasis, where people would be able to build data centers no matter what was happening in the rest of America,” said Sam Koppelman, the publisher of Hunterbrook Media — an investigative journalism outlet connected to a hedge fund. “This election totally changed that.”

The day after the election, Musk wrote on X: “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now,” an idea he’s actively pursuing. 

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Elon Musk in front of a sign for Grok 3

Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'

Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.

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