Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21
Bush, Cornyn Exclude Paxton From 6-Candidate Senate Fundraiser as Texas Race Draws $80 Million
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Bush, Cornyn Exclude Paxton From 6-Candidate Senate Fundraiser as Texas Race Draws $80 Million

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Summary

  • A Dallas fundraiser hosted Monday by John Cornyn, with George W. Bush as a special guest, backs six Republican Senate nominees but leaves out Texas nominee Ken Paxton.
  • The omission sharpens a split between Bush-era Texas Republicans and the Trump-aligned insurgent wing after Paxton defeated Cornyn in a bitter, expensive primary.
  • Maintain the Majority, the new joint fundraising committee behind the event, is aiding Republicans defending seats in Maine, Ohio, Alaska and Iowa while targeting pickups in Michigan and New Hampshire.
  • Texas remains a top Senate battleground: Paxton has trailed Democrat James Talarico in fundraising, though Trump- and Senate GOP-linked super PACs have reserved more than $80 million in outside advertising.

Insights

Will the unprecedented reliance on super PACs redefine how future high-stakes elections are funded and fought?