Former President George W. Bush fundraised in Texas on Monday for Senate Republicans running in key races across the country — with one notable exception.
The Dallas fundraiser, hosted by outgoing Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), benefited Republican candidates in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio. Noticeably absent on the list of campaigns benefiting from the fundraiser was Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in the Republican primary in May.
The event raised money for a joint fundraising committee, called Maintain the Majority, backing Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jon Husted (R-OH) as well as candidates Mike Rogers in Michigan, John Sununu in New Hampshire, Ashley Hinson in Iowa, and Michele Tafoya in Minnesota.
The New York Times first reported on the fundraiser.
Since leaving office, Bush has been relatively quiet politically with a few forays into fundraising for politicians like Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and former anti-Trump Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY). Texas Public Radio reported earlier this month that Bush told them he had “retired from politics.”
Republicans are attempting to hold seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio while targeting Michigan and New Hampshire for potential flips. In Michigan, Republicans believe the nomination of the leftist Abdul El-Sayed gives them an opportunity to pick up a seat in the Senate.
The outcome of these races will determine what party controls the Senate for the second half of President Donald Trump’s term.
In Texas, polls show a close race between Paxton and leftist James Talarico. The apparently tight race comes after an expensive Republican primary that saw Cornyn and his allies spend over $90 million in a losing effort against Paxton.
Paxton’s campaign has been bolstered in recent weeks with about $15 million in support from MAGA Inc., a political action committee aligned with Trump, and $54 million from a PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
Republicans are also looking to shore up support in reliably red states like Kansas and Nebraska as polls continue to show close races. The projections have triggered alarm bells from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who spent the weekend campaigning for Republicans in the Midwest.
“I’m going to Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa to help raise money and campaign for our very good candidates,” he said last week. “If you told me six months ago I was gonna be having to spend my time in those three states, I wouldn’t have believed you. Those ought to be fat guy layups for us. Now we’re going to win there, but the races are close.”
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