By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Elon Musk has spent more than $276 million to help Republicans hold their majorities in the House and Senate.
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Some of that money is flowing into Arizona’s two toss-up races that could decide the balance of power in Congress. The full extent of his spending in Arizona may not be known until after the election.
Trump praises Musk
President Donald Trump was in Bullhead City last week praising Musk, the mega-donor he’s counting on to deliver a pair of congressional victories in Arizona.
“Elon’s 80% super genius,” Trump said.
Two key races
Those tight races are Arizona’s 1st Congressional District in north Phoenix, where Democrat Amish Shah faces Republican Jay Feely, and southern Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, where Democrat Joanna Mendoza is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Juan Ciscomani.
Both races are pivotal for which party controls the House, and Musk is spending in both.
Voters react
“The vast majority of people like me would probably agree there’s too much money in politics. It should stay local and grassroots,” one voter told Arizona’s Family.
That’s a common refrain from Arizona voters interviewed. They want outsiders like Musk to stay out of local politics.
Federal filings show Musk’s America PAC has already spent more than $1 million combined in Districts 1 and 6 — more than $500,000 in each race on digital media, including text messages attacking Shah and Mendoza.
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“There’s too much influence from corporations. Powerful people have a lot of money,” another voter said.
Spending could grow
The money known to have been spent in Arizona is small compared to the tens of millions Musk has spent on other races across the country. The final total in Arizona could be much higher.
Sources close to the campaigns say Musk’s main focus is building a turnout operation to get Republican voters to the polls.
Campaign finance lawyers say money spent on turnout efforts does not have to be reported immediately, which means the full amount Musk spent may not be known until after the election.
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