Gover runs for seat with $7.56 billion SpaceX AI unit

Chris Gober, who served as the chief lawyer and director of Elon Musk’s America PAC, is the Republican nominee for a congressional seat in Texas. The race in the 10th District is set to conclude less than a week before Election Day. The district contains the Terafab, a large artificial intelligence chip factory currently under construction by Tesla and SpaceX. It also includes Pflugerville, where The Boring Co., Musk’s tunneling company, maintains offices.

Gober’s campaign website currently features an endorsement from President Donald Trump and promises to advance the president’s “America First Agenda.” However, the site does not mention Musk or America PAC as of Tuesday. Campaign manager Zach Gregory stated that the website was updated in the final weeks of the race to focus on local priorities. When asked about the omission, Gober said his work with the PAC is “widely reported and is no secret.”

His Democratic opponent, Caitlin Rourk, is highlighting the connection in a new television ad. The spot features a voiceover stating, “Elon Musk already had MAGA extremist Chris Gober as his lawyer. Now he wants him in Congress.” Rourk, a U.S. Army veteran and former Dell Technologies employee, described Gober’s approach as an attempt to “bury his head in the sand.”

Federal Election Commission filings reveal that SpaceX’s political action committee donated $10,000 to Gober’s campaign this cycle. This amount was first reported by Axios on Monday. SpaceX has expanded significantly into AI in 2026, with the segment becoming its largest business unit. The company reported that third-quarter revenue for this division increased ninefold to $7.56 billion, up from $813 million in the same period a year earlier.

Rourk argued that Gober would link taxpayer funds to SpaceX through defense contracts and to Tesla through transportation projects if elected. She also suggested he would oppose a subpoena of Musk. In response, Gober’s campaign released a YouTube ad and an email claiming that Rourk earns most of her household income from data center investments. Rourk disputed this, explaining that she holds Dell stock from employee equity grants during her tenure from 2021 to 2025 and plans to sell it if elected.

Gober’s law firm, Lex Politica, represents Musk and America PAC in two class action lawsuits in Austin federal court. The suits alleged that the PAC defrauded voters in swing states during 2024 by promising daily prize money to petition signers. The parties agreed to settle on October 15, though the terms were not disclosed. Gober stated he is working with the House Ethics Committee and would withdraw from ongoing legal representations if elected, as members of Congress are barred from practicing law outside of limited pro bono work.

A Verasight survey of 2,000 U.S. adults in April found that 74% of Democrats and 53% of Independents view Musk unfavorably. Only 17% of Republicans hold an unfavorable view. Verasight CEO Ben Leff noted that candidates associated with Musk may face additional difficulties in a challenging environment for Republicans.