Texas showdown: Sen. Ted Cruz steps up his game as conservative firebrand faces bruising re-election race

4 minutes, 56 seconds Read

[ad_1]

As he faces a second straight difficult re-election marketing campaign, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is upping his efforts.

The conservative firebrand senator operating for a 3rd six-year time period representing the Lone Star State within the Senate will workforce up Saturday in Houston with employees, volunteers, grassroots supporters, family and friends for the official opening of his 2024 marketing campaign headquarters.

The opening comes a few days after Cruz introduced a big marketing campaign money haul over the previous three months.

The senator introduced in $9.7 million throughout the first quarter of 2024 fundraising, in response to figures shared first with Fox News Wednesday. Cruz’s haul from his three fundraising committees was almost double the $5.5 million he introduced within the earlier three months.

FIRST ON FOX: CRUZ HAULS IN NEARLY $10 MILLION THE PAST THREE MONTHS

Ted Cruz in Palm Beach, Florida

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks at a donor convention hosted by the conservative Club for Growth March 3, 2023, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Fox News )

And the senator’s political workforce mentioned that, as of the top of March, Cruz had $15.1 million money available from his three fundraising committees. They famous that determine consists of the quantities he has despatched to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the marketing campaign arm of the Senate GOP, and the Republican Party of Texas (RPT), that are devoted to his race.  

Campaign spokesperson Nick Maddux advised Fox News the senator “is off to a very strong start this year as the momentum to get him across the finish line in November continues to increase across the entire Lone Star State.”

SIX KEY SENATE SEATS THAT COULD FLIP IN NOVEMBER 

Cruz, who narrowly defeated Rep. Beto O’Rourke in a hard-fought 2018 Senate battle, is probably going going to wish each cent he raises, as he faces a bruising re-election bid in opposition to Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred.

Allred, a former NFL participant, civil rights legal professional and three-term congressman representing a suburban Dallas district, on Thursday almost matched Cruz’s fundraising. His marketing campaign introduced he hauled in over $9.5 million throughout the first quarter.

Paige Hutchinson, Allred’s marketing campaign supervisor, emphasised the fundraising “continues our momentum to build a strong campaign to win in November and send Ted Cruz packing for good.”

Colin Allred

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, arrives on the U.S. Capitol for the final votes of the week April 20, 2023.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc by way of Getty Images)

Allred probably obtained a lift from President Biden, who advised top-dollar donors throughout a fundraiser in Dallas final month, “You’ve got to elect Colin as your next senator … so Ted Cruz joins another loser, Donald Trump.”

The former president is the GOP’s 2024 presumptive presidential nominee.

Cruz, who was runner-up to Trump within the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race, flirted early this cycle with one other White House run earlier than confirming in late 2022 he would search a 3rd time period within the Senate.

The senator on Saturday will be part of with volunteers and employees, who will spend the day cellphone banking and door knocking on behalf of Cruz. The marketing campaign says it has already surpassed 1 million direct voter contacts and notes it is on monitor to hit historic grassroots numbers.

WHERE THE PRESIDENTIAL AND SENATE SHOWDOWNS STAND IN TEXAS

“Sen. Cruz will continue to pound the pavement day in and day out, meeting and talking to Texans in every corner of the state to keep Texas Texas and ensure that we remain the nation’s bastion of liberty,” Maddux emphasised.

O’Rourke raised considerably greater than Cruz in 2018 in a high-profile race that grabbed loads of nationwide consideration.

In an interview final week on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Cruz argued that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest Democrat within the chamber, “has been explicit. He’s coming after Texas. I am his No. 1 target in the entire country.”

Cruz argued the Democrats “are going to spend more than $100 million this year. … They’re flooding millions of dollars into Texas.”

Sen. Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, throughout votes within the U.S. Capitol Dec. 5, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc by way of Getty Images)

The senator has lengthy been a fan favourite of conservatives throughout the nation resulting from his quite a few broadsides in opposition to Democrats, from President Barack Obama early in his tenure to his assaults on President Biden lately.

But Cruz, with the current launch of “Democrats for Cruz,” is showcasing his bipartisan chops as he goals to draw left-leaning voters.

He’s additionally attempting to color Allred as a partisan who votes in lockstep with his celebration.

But Allred’s marketing campaign counters that his bid is about “rejecting the divisiveness of Ted Cruz and fighting for Texans’ freedoms.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Democrats maintain a slim 51-49 majority within the chamber, which incorporates three unbiased senators who caucus with the Democratic convention.

That means Republicans want a web acquire of both one or two seats to win again the bulk, relying on which celebration controls the White House after this 12 months’s presidential election.

The math and the map favor the GOP in 2024. Democrats are defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Three of these seats are in purple states Trump carried in 2020 — West Virginia, Montana and Ohio.

Democrats are additionally defending an open seat in West Virginia after Sen. Joe Manchin introduced late final 12 months he wouldn’t search re-election.

Five different blue-held seats are in key swing states narrowly carried by President Biden in 2020 — Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 

In blue-state Maryland, Senate Republicans scored a recruiting success with fashionable former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan.

Texas and Florida, the place incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is in search of re-election, seem like the one aggressive GOP-held seats up for grabs this November.

Get the newest updates from the 2024 marketing campaign path, unique interviews and extra at our Fox News Digital election hub.

[ad_2]

Source hyperlink

Similar Posts