Elon Musk's decision to leave electoral politics behind is already causing headaches for some Republicans, according to a new report.
Musk announced in May that his time in politics had come to an end. The announcement followed multiple tumultuous months of power-wrangling between Musk and President Donald Trump. Even though the billionaire spent more than $250 million to help Trump and other Republicans get elected, he has since said that he isn't supporting any candidates in the primaries.
Trump has also threatened retaliation against Musk if he does start spending money against Republican candidates.
Some expected Musk's exit to be unceremonious, but it has proved otherwise for Republicans in the Virginia Governor's race, Politico reported on Thursday.
Jonathan Martin, Politico's senior political columnist, noted that Democratic candidates for Governor of Virginia currently hold a three-to-one cash advantage over Republicans. Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger has raised about $14.5 million compared to Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears' $3.5 million.
This is happening at a time when the Virginia Republican Party's top politician, Glenn Youngkin, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Republicans were also unable to hold onto their majorities in the state House of Delegates and the state Senate while Youngkin was in office.
Martin said these challenges have put some down-ballot Republicans in "straits."
"Democrats in the commonwealth earlier this year were bracing for an influx of the tech billionaire’s money into Virginia, where there are no caps on giving, but the Musk moolah has yet to appear," Martin wrote.
"Just as significant, Youngkin, a multi-millionaire, has yet to infuse the Virginia ticket with significant personal money or contributions from his political action committee," the report continued.
