Texas is broadly seen as a GOP stronghold, so that you is perhaps excused for those who forgot that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is up for reelection this yr. Cruz absolutely had no motive to anticipate his celebration to spend cash defending his turf, particularly given the wealth of endangered Senate Democrats this cycle.
But right here we’re, roughly three weeks earlier than the election, and Cruz is preventing to keep up a slim lead in his race whereas crying about Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell’s refusal to bail him out.
It’s scrumptious.
RELATED STORY: Watch Ted Cruz get stomped within the Texas Senate debate
“We are in the middle of a full-on battle,” Cruz lately complained throughout an look on conservative Mark Levin’s radio present. “[Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer has been express—I am his No. 1 goal within the nation. And they’re spending between $100 and $150 million attempting to beat me. … For 3 months, as you simply talked about, they have been operating assault adverts nonstop. I simply obtained up on TV three weeks in the past. Now it is not that I did not wish to be on TV three months in the past—we did not have the cash … [A]nd ballot after ballot reveals this as a 1-point race or a 2-point race or a 3-point race.”
Throughout a separate look on Levin’s present, Cruz pointedly blamed McConnell for his predicament.
“In 2018, I was facing at the time what was the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history. I was being outspent 3 to 1. … And unfortunately, Mitch McConnell spent zero dollars to defend Texas. He spent $300 million elsewhere but not a penny in Texas. This time that PAC has $400 million. They have spent zero [on my race].”
One may dismiss this as a kind of “the sky is falling!” fundraising ploys, besides that McConnell’s personal outfit, the Senate Management Fund, has simply sounded the alarm about this race.
“Beginning in early August, Colin Allred has been heavily outspending Ted Cruz on TV, closing up the multicandidate ballot to a single point,” a memo warned. “GOP outside groups (including a dedicated Cruz super PAC) joined the fray in late September and narrowed Allred’s spending advantage.”
The memo has Cruz beating Democratic Rep. Colin Allred by a sliver, 48-47, with Donald Trump carrying the state 50-45. Public polling additionally reveals a aggressive race. This can be a legit Democratic pickup alternative.
It’s wealthy for Cruz to cry about McConnell not having his again. Not solely has Cruz served within the Senate for over 10 years, giving him greater than sufficient time and title recognition to lift the sort of cash he must defend his house turf, however he has a protracted historical past of caucus-annoying publicity stunts designed to tug in cash from the rabid conservative devoted—oftentimes at McConnell’s expense.
And he’s been profitable at it! This cycle, he raised almost $60 million by the top of June, the final publicly accessible reporting interval. That’s considerably greater than the roughly $38 million Allred raised on this extremely costly state. (The Q3 report ought to come out quickly.)
But Cruz, along with his common title recognition in supposedly conservative Texas, throughout a presidential election yr, is struggling in opposition to a Democrat with little or no title ID who has raised 36% much less cash?
Cruz’s predicament is much more satisfying as a result of he has been buttressed by a flood of outdoor cash, with conservative teams pumping $27 million into the race by way of June 30, in comparison with simply $800,000 from Allred’s allies (that has since modified). That conservative cash has clearly had little or no influence on Allred’s probabilities. Maybe that’s why McConnell doesn’t really feel significantly motivated to throw extra money at that race. He definitely doesn’t like Cruz—and for good motive. Simply this previous February, Cruz was demanding McConnell step down as chief.
“The junior senator from Texas declared it’s time for McConnell to go at a Tuesday news conference with six of his conservative Senate colleagues,” the Texas Tribune reported on the time, as conservative anger and infighting concerning the bipartisan border invoice boiled over.
“I think a Republican leader should actually lead this conference and should advance the priorities of Republicans,” Cruz stated. In response, McConnell stated, “I think we can all agree that Sen. Cruz is not a fan.” So sure, McConnell is holding a grudge.
That Senate Management Fund’s memo suggests the tremendous PAC might lastly interact in Texas throughout these remaining weeks. In the meantime Florida Sen. Rick Scott, yet one more McConnell nemesis, can also be being fully ignored regardless of indicators that race can also be aggressive.
However the memo is cautious to not make any guarantees, as a substitute noting that “GOP outside groups” have engaged (studiously omitting the tremendous PAC itself), and concludes, “We are carefully monitoring additional media placements and will have fresh polling numbers here next week.”
Cruz doesn’t want yet one more ballot to remind him that he’s in actual hazard of shedding. In actual fact, the Senate Management Fund memo’s therapy of the race means that probably the most they’ll do is ship up a bat sign in order that different GOP donors will enter the fray.
Republican infighting certain is enjoyable!
Donate now to assist Colin Allred topple Ted Cruz and cease Republicans from snatching the Senate!
