Musk’s Former PAC Lawyer Scrubs AI and Musk Ties from Texas Campaign Site

Key points

• Gober, who led Musk’s America PAC, is running for an open seat in Texas’s 10th District, a region home to Musk’s Terafab chip factory and The Boring Company offices.
• Gober’s campaign website recently deleted sections titled 'Ensuring America’s AI Dominance' and 'Defend Election Integrity,' and no longer mentions Musk or America PAC, despite his prior role.
• Democratic candidate Caitlin Rourk launched an ad titled 'Elon’s Lawyer,' accusing Gober of prioritizing Musk’s interests over constituents, while Gober’s campaign counters that Rourk has ties to data center investments and foreign lobbying.
• SpaceX’s PAC donated $10,000 to Gober’s campaign, and pro-AI PAC American Mission spent approximately $750,000 supporting him, though Musk’s America PAC has no recorded spending in this race.
• The 10th District is considered a solid Republican win, but polling shows significant voter concern over data centers and Musk’s influence, with 57% of Texas voters opposing local data center construction.

Background

This race follows Musk’s $366 million commitment to the 2026 midterms, including settlements over 2024 voter fraud lawsuits involving America PAC. The district is home to major Musk ventures, including Terafab and The Boring Company, and has seen increased scrutiny over AI infrastructure and federal contract ties.

How outlets are covering it

CNBC emphasizes Gober’s strategic omission of Musk and AI from his campaign to appeal to broader voters, while noting his pride in his past work. The Daily Beast highlights Rourk’s aggressive attacks on Gober’s Musk ties and counters his accusations against her. Axios focuses on the website deletions and voter concerns over data centers, noting that rural Texans are particularly opposed to AI infrastructure. Hoodline provides broader context on national data center opposition and Musk’s financial influence in the race.

Why it matters

The race highlights growing tensions between tech billionaires, AI infrastructure, and local voters, particularly in Republican-leaning districts. Gober’s campaign adjustments reflect efforts to mitigate backlash over Musk’s controversial reputation and AI-related concerns, while Rourk’s attacks aim to exploit voter anxiety over federal contract ties and data center impacts.

What to watch

Election Day is less than a week away, with the 10th District expected to remain a Republican stronghold. Voters will decide whether to support Gober’s experience in high-level politics or Rourk’s focus on anti-corruption and anti-data center positions. Post-election, any new representative will face scrutiny over ties to Musk’s business empire and AI infrastructure projects in the district.