A historic blue wave that delivered control of both chambers of Congress to Democrats also caused a huge political realignment in Texas.
Democrat and state Rep. James Talarico defeated former Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to win the Senate seat. Talarico is the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat in Texas in nearly 30 years, signaling a major shift for the Lone Star State.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa also scored a historic win in Texas, unseating Republican Governor Greg Abbott. What do these two huge Democratic wins mean for former senior adviser to the president Elon Musk and Tesla?
How Democrat midterm wins could impact Elon Musk and Tesla
Clean energy and electric vehicle brand Tesla is no stranger to controversy related to safety or the activities of its eccentric CEO. Musk's endorsement of Trump
and service as a special government employee marked a major shift in public sentiment toward the Tesla brand. Tesla stock dropped from $410 a share to $238 at the height of Musk's political involvement in 2025.
Additionally, the Democratic sweep of Congress could result in increased inquiries into Musk's government contracts and tighter federal oversight on autonomous vehicle tech.
Vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 electric sedan and Tesla Model Y electric SUV are sales hits, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened investigations into Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. Tesla vehicles have advanced driver-assistance features that allow for semi-autonomous driving, but drivers must pay attention and use caution while using the features.
Democratic control of Congress could increase scrutiny of Tesla's Cybercab, the company's self-driving robotaxi operation, according to Investors.com. Potential regulatory hurdles could have major financial implications for Tesla's business, particularly the growth of the Cybercab fleet.
The stock market reacts to Democratic wins in Texas
Tesla stock dipped to $376.78 a share, down from a Tuesday high of $406. Tesla's largest factory, Gigafactory Texas, is located in Austin. SpaceX stock also nosedived following the midterm election results. The stock opened at $133.14 a share, down from a Tuesday high of $142.47. SpaceX's Starbase corporate headquarters is located near Brownsville, Texas.
Musk originally moved Tesla headquarters from California to Texas in 2021 for a more favorable legal and governance environment among other reasons, including space for expansion. SpaceX moved its corporate headquarters to Texas around 2024.
Democrat wins in Texas and across the nation may add scrutiny to a potential Tesla and SpaceX merger. Just a few years after uprooting Tesla and SpaceX from the blue states of California and Delaware, Musk might not be able to outrun the regulatory challenges he tried to leave behind.
Will the midterms affect Tesla production?
The midterm results shouldn't affect manufacturing at Tesla Gigafactory Texas. In fact, Senator-elect Talarico has expressed support for Tesla's presence in Texas as an employer and manufacturer, according to Electrek.
Tesla is the current electric vehicle sales leader, outselling models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota bZ and Chevy Equinox EV. The brand had sold more than 262,491 Model Y electric SUVs as of October, according to data from Cox Automotive.
Democrats have long supported the production of clean energy vehicles and pushed to reduce carbon emissions. Tesla's passenger vehicle production is unlikely to be affected by the major Democratic wins in Texas, but its Cybercab operations and growth could face serious red tape in the future.
Charles Singh is an Autos Connect Reporter for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at CSingh@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Democrat wins in Texas could impact Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX
