A new poll shows U.S. voters increasingly associate technology executives and their companies with the Republican Party.
Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg Seen As Republicans
The survey found that 59% of Americans identify Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk as a Republican, while just 14% believe he is a Democrat, Politico reported, citing London-based polling firm PF Global.
Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg ranked second, with 40% associating him with Republicans and 27% with Democrats.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was viewed as Republican by 32% of respondents, compared with 22% who identified him as a Democrat. Meanwhile, 28% saw Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei as Republican and 20% as Democratic.
Of the eight tech executives surveyed, Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates was the only one more Americans identified as a Democrat than a Republican.
Former Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook was also more likely to be viewed as a Democrat by Democratic respondents.
Even A Fake Tech CEO Was Seen As Republican
The poll tested whether respondents were inclined to associate tech executives with Republicans by including a fictional CEO named Marshall Ancoates.
The fictional CEO was identified as a Republican by 22% of respondents, compared with 18% who viewed him as a Democrat. Among 2024 Trump voters, 30% associated Ancoates with the Republican Party, while 19% believed he was a Democrat.
PF Global’s head of polling, Seb Wride, said the findings point to a significant shift in how Silicon Valley is perceived.
“Both Harris and Trump voters now see AI companies as Republican,” Wride said, warning that the perception could become entrenched if political parties turn the industry into a voting issue.
Tech Industry Seen As Biggest GOP Donor
The survey also found that respondents viewed tech and AI companies as major financial supporters of Republicans.
Musk has reportedly donated more than $276 million to Republican groups and his super PAC since July, making him the largest known donor in the 2026 midterm election cycle.
In September, reports said that of the 20 largest political donors in the U.S., 16 supported Republicans.
Among voters who backed Kamala Harris in 2024, 38% identified the industry as the biggest spender supporting Republican candidates this year, compared with 26% of Trump voters.
Respondents associated Tesla employees with Republicans by a 53%-to-18% margin. At OpenAI, the split was 33% Republican to 26% Democrat, while Anthropic employees were viewed as slightly more Republican than Democratic.
Google employees were more often associated with Democrats (34%) than Republicans (28%).
The findings could increase scrutiny of tech companies as Democrats prepare to contest control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: IAB Studio on Shutterstock.com
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