Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk said he voted for Texas congressional candidate Mayra Flores, his first time voting for a Republican, and proposed creating a political-action committee for moderates.
"Massive red wave in 2022," Mr. Musk said on Twitter Wednesday.
In a special election Tuesday, Ms. Flores, a Republican, defeated a Democrat in a district partially bordering Mexico that President Biden carried by 4 percentage points in 2020.
"I woke up this morning still feeling surreal from everything that's happened over the last 24 hours," Ms. Flores said in a tweet Wednesday. "Earning Elon Musk's vote was just the icing on the cake and I can't wait to work with his team!"
Amid his $44 billion bid to buy Twitter Inc., Mr. Musk voiced his political views in a string of tweets on Wednesday. He has called himself a moderate and proposed to create a "Super Moderate Super PAC" that supports candidates with centrist views from all parties.
He also said he was leaning toward supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president. Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, hasn't said whether he plans to run in 2024.
"I supported [Andrew] Yang last time, but DeSantis has a better chance of winning," Mr. Musk said.
Mr. DeSantis, in a press conference Wednesday, said he is focused on 2022. But, in a reference to Mr. Musk, he added: "I welcome support from African-Americans. What can I say?" Mr. Musk, who is white, was born in South Africa. The governor's comments drew laughter and claps from some in the audience.
Mr. DeSantis has grown a national profile by pushing conservative policies on elections, abortion and public protests. Earlier this year, he signed legislation to strip special tax benefits from Walt Disney Co. after the company criticized the governor's Parental Rights in Education bill, which prohibits classroom instruction about gender identity or sexual orientation through third grade.
The Florida governor has frequently sparred with the Biden administration over Covid-19 policies and threatened to fine county and state governments that require employees to be vaccinated.
"He's definitely not a moderate," said longtime Florida pollster Brad Coker. If Mr. DeSantis did run for president, he added, he would likely position himself as "all the benefits of Trump without the baggage."
Mr. Musk has said that he doesn't identify with either major political party and that it is rare for him to endorse candidates. Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Musk said last month that he intended to vote Republican in November because of scrutiny from some Democrats against him and his companies, Tesla and rocket company SpaceX. He criticized government spending and federal efforts to incentivize electric-vehicle purchases under the Biden administration in a December interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Tesla and other electric-vehicle companies have received federal and state subsidies as governments seek to accelerate electric-vehicle adoption among buyers in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pursue cleaner technologies.
Mr. Musk drew ire from President Biden earlier this month. Mr. Musk said he had a "super bad feeling" about the economy and that he planned to slash jobs at Tesla.
The president pointed to plans by Ford Motor Co. and Intel Corp. to boost their hiring. "Lots of luck on his trip to the moon," Mr. Biden said of Mr. Musk. The billionaire replied: "Thanks Mr President!" while also including a link referencing NASA awarding Mr. Musk's SpaceX with a $2.9 billion contract to supply spacecraft for astronauts to go to the moon.
