Florida Republican tells Musk to move Tesla HQ after Democrats win big in Texas

Florida Republican tells Musk to move Tesla HQ after Democrats win big in Texas Congressman Carlos Gimenez invites world’s richest man to relocate his electric car business to the Sunshine State to avoid tangling with Democratic governor-elect Gina Hinojosa - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez has invited trillionaire Elon Musk to relocate his Tesla headquarters from Texas to the Sunshine State amid anticipated clashes with the former’s incoming Democratic governor Gina Hinojosa. Texas, once deep-red, provided one of the shocks of last week’s midterms elections when its voters threw out the incumbent, Gov. Greg Abbott, in favor of Hinojosa and sent James Talarico to the Senate in preference to its scandal-blighted conservative attorney general Ken Paxton. Hinojosa is likely to be of particular concern to Musk, who blew $5 million in donations to support Abbott’s re-election campaign, given that she campaigned on limiting unchecked data center expansion and won a court order entitling her to review unredacted versions of emails sent between the tech boss and her predecessor. She has also expressed opposition to Boca Chica State Park being sold to Musk’s company SpaceX in support of its Starbase facility nearby, asking the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to put a hold on any sale until she takes office. Sensing an opportunity, Gimenez wrote to Musk this week suggesting he relocate his electric car operation to Florida, one of the few Republican-led states that the GOP managed to hang onto at the midterms. “As the former Mayor of Miami-Dade County and now a Member of Congress representing South Florida, I understand firsthand the importance of fostering an environment where businesses can thrive, investments can flourish, and hardworking Americans can succeed,” the representative wrote. “With the recent election of self-described Democratic Socialists to positions of power in Texas, I share your concerns about excessive government interference, politically motivated investigations, and policies that punish success. No company should face political retaliation for creating jobs, investing in American innovation, and contributing to our nation's prosperity. “Florida offers a fundamentally different approach. Our state has championed lower taxes, responsible regulation, and the freedom to innovate without unnecessary government intrusion. While others seek to investigate and punish success, Florida welcomes it.” Gimenez told Musk his state represented “a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean,” already boasted “world-class infrastructure” and “a highly-skilled, diverse workforce”. “The Sunshine State is open for business, and we stand ready to support the innovators and job creators building America's future,” the congressman concluded his appeal. The world’s richest man previously operated out of California before moving Tesla to the Lone Star State in 2021, followed by SpaceX and X in 2024, in search of a more sympathetic political climate after his own views took an abrupt lurch to the right during the Covid-19 pandemic. Musk’s financial support for Abbott was just a fraction of the $500 million he spent in support of Republican candidates at the midterms, money that was largely wasted as Democrats romped home to take control of the House of Representatives and Senate. The outcome was widely interpreted as a spectacular rebuke to President Donald Trump, with whom Musk has been closely associated, initially serving in his administration as the “mastermind” behind DOGE, a short-lived agency tasked with cutting waste federal expenditure and making redundancies. Since his midterms disaster, the impresario has announced he will wind down production of Tesla’s Cybertruck next year and mused on the possibility of hiring his old friend Jensen Huang after he resigned from Nvidia amid reports he had an affair with a woman whom U.S. intelligence believe to be a Chinese spy. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments