Greg Abbott sees Elon Musk as an asset. Texans may disagree.
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, left, sits with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at a groundbreaking ceremony for the auto manufacturer's lithium refining facility in Robstown, Texas, on Monday, May 8, 2023. Abbott is hoping that his ties to Musk will bolster his chances of being re-elected for a fourth term in office. Angela Piazza/Associated PressDoes Elon Musk have the “hot hand”? Gov. Greg Abbott certainly thinks so. The Chronicle’s Ben Wermund reported Monday that Abbott has been going around the state telling the story of how he “lured” Musk to Texas as he makes his re-election case. Perhaps I just have basketball on the brain after a week of NBA playoff games, but the hoops term “heat check” seems relevant to Abbott’s Musk infatuation. For the uninitiated, the “Hot Hand Theory” is a phenomenon in which a basketball player makes several shots in a row – catching “fire” – leading them to believe they can do no wrong and should be fed the rock accordingly. This notion, which has been scientifically debunked, often results in said player launching preposterous rainmakers from distances that would make Steph Curry blush – a heat check – to test the limits of their incendiary shotmaking. Article continues below this adA year ago, Musk probably felt he was on a Curry-esque run. He had just shelled out $290 million to elect Donald Trump and a slew of Republicans in 2024, and was in a position of outsized, destructive power, purging the so-called federal “deep state” as the head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Feeling himself, Musk decided to run up the score by putting his thumb on the scale of a Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Political action committees aligned with Musk spent $19 million in support of Brad Schimel, a conservative lawyer running to flip the court’s 4-3 liberal majority. Days before that election, Musk awkwardly ambled on stage at a rally in Green Bay wearing a cheesehead hat – a nod to the headwear donned by Packers fans – and handed out oversized million-dollar checks to two sweepstakes winners who signed a petition opposing “activist judges.” As far as heat checks go, this was akin to Musk pulling up from the logo and chucking a moonball towards the rim with two defenders draped on him. Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.Alas, Musk’s Wisconsin foray was a political airball. Schimel was trounced by 10 percentage points in what was seen by many political observers, including Republicans, as a referendum on Musk’s “toxic” influence. As a result, Musk seemingly benched himself, telling an economic forum audience in Qatar last May that he would do “a lot less” political spending in the future. There are signs, however, that Musk is tired of riding the pine. He reportedly doled out $10 million to two prominent Republican super PACs at the end of last year, and he gave $500,000 to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s Texas Senate Leadership Fund in January. To borrow another hoops adage, shooters shoot, and Musk has an itchy trigger finger. Article continues below this adBy batting his eyes at Musk, Abbott appears keen on showing the billionaire he, too, is a worthwhile investment. As a Republican activist once told Texas Monthly: “Money is the political currency (Abbott) understands most,” and part of his durability and skill as a politician is his aggressive fundraising. Musk hasn’t spent a dime on Abbott since 2014, but the governor is clearly hoping his wallet will boost both his re-election chances and his stated goal of turning Harris County “dark red.” But Abbott may have already used up his heat check when Trump drew up the play to spearhead a mid-decade redistricting fight to flip more U.S. House seats. Abbott and the state Legislature eagerly flung a desperate half-court heave for total Republican dominance to guard against a cresting blue wave. Aligning himself with Musk to help seal an unprecedented fourth term in office could be flying too close to the sun. Texas isn’t Wisconsin – they actually elect Democrats up there – but the Supreme Court election result showed the risk this alliance could bring. Political candidates in Texas are finding success with messages centered around economic populism and shifting power away from corporate elites like Musk. It happened in February’s state Senate special election in North Texas, where Democrat Taylor Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and union machinist, crushed his Republican opponent by 14 percentage points in a district that voted heavily for Trump. Rehmet sidestepped the culture wars that animate extremists on both sides, instead defining himself as a political outsider fighting for the working class. Musk’s cratering popularity is further proof this message is connecting with Texans. A nonpartisan August survey of more than 800 registered voters ranked Musk dead last in favorability among a group that included Ken Paxton and Donald Trump. A June University of Texas poll found that 53% of Texas voters had an unfavorable view of Musk, most of them from suburban and urban centers, areas where Republicans are either hoping to unseat Democratic incumbents or defend their own turf this November. Abbott and Musk defenders will point to the billionaire’s stronger approval ratings among Republican voters. They’ll tout his vast business empire – $11.6 billion in investments here in Texas and thousands of jobs created. Article continues below this adBut that economic impact has come with significant drawbacks and concerns over his growing footprint across the state. Musk’s SpaceX, for instance, has been embroiled in multiple federal and state lawsuits for water and noise pollution and public beach access. His companies have discharged untreated, hazardous wastewater in Austin’s sewers, harmed wetlands in Brownsville and built tunnels without permits in Bastrop. All while the state has showered Musk with tax abatements, incentives and credits like merch from a t-shirt cannon. Of course, none of this matters to Abbott. Recruiting Musk and his bank account is like the Golden State Warriors adding Kevin Durant to an already unstoppable Hall of Fame squad. Abbott always managed to overcome his relative lack of charisma and disdain for retail politics with sheer financial might that overwhelms his opposition. With Musk’s millions, he certainly has a chance to do the same to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, a state representative from Austin who has yet to distinguish herself as a statewide candidate. Abbott is in the fourth quarter of his political career, hoping one last flurry of silky 3-pointers can put away the opposition for good. But in an election year that already looks grim for Republicans and has Democrats hopeful they might end a 30-year losing streak, tying his party to an erratic billionaire tossing up bricks may not be the smartest call from the playbook. Nick Powell is an editorial writer for the Houston Chronicle.Article continues below this ad
