Elon Musk-backed super PAC puts Alaska on midterm battleground map

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Aug. 1, 2026 – Elon Musk is preparing to unleash a major Republican voter-turnout operation in Alaska and other battleground states as the Republican Party works to protect its congressional majorities in November, according to multiple national reports that began with The New York Times.

Musk has authorized America PAC, his super political action committee, to spend between $100 million and $120 million on a new field program supporting Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, the newspaper  reported Thursday, citing unnamed people briefed on the plans.

Alaska is reportedly among the operation’s first five Senate targets, along with Iowa, Maine, Michigan and Ohio. The PAC is also considering later involvement in Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, as well as competitive US House contests in California, Washington and Wisconsin. The reporting did not cite the Alaska US House race in that list; it may not be considered by Musk to be as competitive.

If the reported plans materialize, Alaska could receive a substantial infusion of outside money and campaign workers in the closely watched US Senate contest between Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, a race that has been confused by Democrats when they recruited a “Dan J. Sullivan” to run. He’s known colloquially as Decoy Dan.

America PAC has not publicly confirmed the $100 million-to-$120 million figure, nor has it disclosed how much it might spend in Alaska. The PAC has confirmed that it intends to play a major role in Republican turnout efforts this fall.

Its strategy will reportedly emphasize door-to-door canvassing, digital advertising and direct mail aimed at conservative voters, particularly those who supported President Donald Trump in 2024 but are less likely to vote in a nonpresidential election.

That ground operation could allow other Republican groups to concentrate more heavily on television and online advertising.

Axios, which first reported that Musk was reviving the PAC for the midterms, described the effort as a potentially “historic” get-out-the-vote campaign. Chris Young, Musk’s top political adviser and America PAC’s treasurer, is expected to direct the program.

“America PAC was an essential partner for our historic GOTV operation in 2024, and their return for 2026 is a huge boost for Republicans across the country,” Trump senior political adviser James Blair told Axios.

America PAC spent more than $260 million during the 2024 election cycle as Musk emerged as the largest individual political donor in a single federal election cycle. Its canvassers reportedly knocked on more than 10 million doors while working to elect Trump and other Republican candidates.

Federal Election Commission records show the PAC has remained active during the current cycle. From Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, it reported approximately $50.3 million in receipts and $52.3 million in disbursements. Almost all its funding has come from Musk. The committee reported just $274,171 in cash on hand at the end of June, meaning the anticipated midterm operation would require a large new infusion of money. Federal Election Commission records

In Alaska, Sullivan is seeking a third term after first winning the seat in 2014 and securing reelection in 2020. He has Trump’s endorsement and is viewed as one of the Republicans whom Democrats must defeat if they hope to capture control of the Senate.

Peltola represented Alaska in the US House from 2022 until Republican Nick Begich defeated her in 2024. National Democrats recruited her to challenge Sullivan, and the race has quickly become one of the most expensive and closely watched Senate contests in the country.

The Cook Political Report moved the Alaska contest into its “Toss Up” category on July 1. Alaska is one of four Senate races currently given that rating by the election forecaster. Cook Political Report

Sullivan and Peltola are the highest-profile candidates in a crowded field that also includes several other Republicans and Democrats, minor-party contenders and a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. The other Sullivan, a retired teacher with no relation to the senator, was returned to the ballot following a court battle over his eligibility.

Alaska’s jungle primary will be held Aug. 18. Voters select one candidate, and the top four finishers advance to the Nov. 3 general election, which is decided using the controversial ranked-choice voting method.

America PAC has not formally endorsed Sullivan or publicly identified any Alaska candidate it intends to support. Because it is an independent-expenditure-only committee, it may raise and spend unlimited sums but cannot coordinate its spending with Sullivan’s campaign or other candidates.

The PAC’s reported Alaska plans center on increasing Republican turnout throughout the state, which could benefit Sullivan as well as Republican candidates in the gubernatorial, congressional and legislative races.

The precise budget, state-by-state allocations and scope of the operation could still change. Much of the information comes from anonymous sources familiar with internal planning, while Musk and America PAC have declined to release a final spending plan.

Still, the PAC’s confirmation that it is returning to the field, and the repeated inclusion of Alaska in reports from Reuters, Axios and ABC News, is another indication that the Sullivan-Peltola contest will be fought as a national battle for control of the US Senate.