A group of voters in south Texas is set to decide the future of a new city — one born from the vision of Elon Musk. The election taking place Saturday, May 3, will determine whether an unincorporated patch of land near the southern tip of Texas becomes “Starbase,” a town Musk first teased in 2021.
The proposed city sits just 1.5 miles east of Brownsville, nestled against the Gulf of America and the Boca Chica Beach area. For years, Musk and his company SpaceX have used the rural region as a base for rocket launches, gradually transforming it into a hub of aerospace activity. Now, the billionaire’s long-promised plan to create an official town is on the verge of becoming reality.
If approved, Starbase would be the first municipality of its kind in the United States — essentially a modern-day company town where the overwhelming majority of residents are SpaceX employees or their family members. Of the roughly 500 people who live in the area, over 260 are directly employed by the company. They make up the bulk of the voting population, making the incorporation outcome all but certain. (RELATED: Editor Daily Rundown: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rescues American Astronauts After Nine-Month ‘Struggle’)
The vote would grant the new city the authority to pass ordinances and manage local affairs, giving SpaceX leadership a significant degree of influence over public decisions. Bobby Peden, a longtime SpaceX executive who serves as vice president of test and launch operations in Texas, is running unopposed for mayor. Two additional commissioner seats are also uncontested. Both candidates are SpaceX employees.
Musk will not hold any official political role in Starbase, but the town is his brainchild. Since announcing the idea in 2021, he has urged employees to relocate to the area and has continued to expand his personal and corporate footprint in Texas. Musk moved his primary residence and key businesses to the state. He now resides in a $35 million compound in Austin.
