Lobby Watch: Tesla & Car Dealers up the Ante

Tesla Motors and Texas auto dealers both revved up their political spending as the electric-car maker again tries to overturn a law that bars direct sales of Teslas to Texas consumers.

Tesla is outspending dealers 3:1 in the lobby, but dealers handed out 40 times more campaign cash. Tesla's Elon Musk narrowed those odds some by only giving money to winning candidates. In fact, he made most of his contributions after the election was in his rear-view mirror.

It's illegal to test drive a Tesla in Texas but you can take Lobby Watch for a spin.