Former President George W. Bush and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) joined forces to raise money for Republican Senate hopefuls this week, but snubbed the GOP nominee running in their home state of Texas.
Cornyn hosted a fundraiser Monday evening in Dallas benefiting six Republicans running for Senate seats that could determine control of Congress, with Bush appearing as a special guest, according to reports. Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who ousted Cornyn in a bitter and expensive primary, was notably absent from the fundraising.
The event benefited Maintain the Majority, a new joint fundraising effort supporting Republicans in competitive races in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and New Hampshire. Some of the donors at Monday’s event had previously contributed to Paxton’s campaign.
Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Jon Husted (R-OH) attended, as well as Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu, and former sports broadcaster Michelle Tafoya of Minnesota, who are all running for Senate in their respective states.
Paxton’s omission comes as he works to close a fundraising gap in his general election contest against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
Talarico substantially outraised Paxton through the first half of the year, forcing national Republican groups, including President Donald Trump’s super PAC MAGA Inc., to pour money in during the final stretch of the race. MAGA Inc. is spending $10 million on television and digital advertising to support Paxton.
According to Federal Election Commission data from the end of June, Talarico has about $21.5 million in cash on hand, while Paxton has about $1.75 million.
Cornyn, who will leave the Senate after Paxton beat him in the May runoff, has previously said he does not plan to raise money for his former opponent. Bush had backed Cornyn during the primary, contributing to his campaign, but Trump’s endorsement of Paxton ultimately moved the needle.
THE GOP’S TEXAS-SIZED KEN PAXTON DILEMMA
Cornyn has grown increasingly critical of some in his party who he believes could undermine Republicans in the midterm elections. Paxton’s past scandals have repeatedly dogged his campaign as they become the focus of Talarico’s attack ads.
While Paxton has been shunned from some GOP circles, Talarico has sought to highlight his ability to work across the aisle. Earlier this month, Talarico announced cross-party endorsements from nearly two dozen current and former Republican officials.