1 month ago
As he faces a 2nd consecutive challenging re-election campaign, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is upping his efforts.
The blimpish firebrand legislator moving for a 3rd six-year word representing nan Lone Star State successful nan Senate will squad up Saturday successful Houston pinch staff, volunteers, grassroots supporters, friends and family for nan charismatic opening of his 2024 run headquarters.
The opening comes a mates of days aft Cruz announced a ample run rate haul complete nan past 3 months.
The legislator brought successful $9.7 cardinal during nan first 4th of 2024 fundraising, according to figures shared first pinch Fox News Wednesday. Cruz's haul from his 3 fundraising committees was astir double nan $5.5 cardinal he brought successful nan erstwhile 3 months.
FIRST ON FOX: CRUZ HAULS IN NEARLY $10 MILLION THE PAST THREE MONTHS
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks astatine a philanthropist convention hosted by nan blimpish Club for Growth March 3, 2023, successful Palm Beach, Fla. (Fox News )
And nan senator's governmental squad said that, arsenic of nan extremity of March, Cruz had $15.1 cardinal rate connected manus from his 3 fundraising committees. They noted that fig includes nan amounts he has sent to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), nan run limb of nan Senate GOP, and nan Republican Party of Texas (RPT), which are dedicated to his race.
Campaign spokesperson Nick Maddux told Fox News nan legislator "is disconnected to a very beardown commencement this twelvemonth arsenic the momentum to get him crossed nan decorativeness statement successful November continues to summation crossed nan full 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 apt going to request each cent he raises, arsenic he faces a bruising re-election bid against Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred.
Allred, a erstwhile NFL player, civilian authorities lawyer and three-term congressman representing a suburban Dallas district, connected Thursday astir matched Cruz's fundraising. His run announced he hauled successful complete $9.5 cardinal during nan first quarter.
Paige Hutchinson, Allred's run manager, emphasized nan fundraising "continues our momentum to build a beardown run to triumph successful November and nonstop Ted Cruz packing for good."
Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, arrives astatine nan U.S. Capitol for nan past votes of nan week April 20, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Allred apt received a boost from President Biden, who told top-dollar donors during a fundraiser successful Dallas past month, "You've sewage to elite Colin arsenic your adjacent legislator ... truthful Ted Cruz joins different loser, Donald Trump."
The former president is nan GOP's 2024 presumptive statesmanlike nominee.
Cruz, who was runner-up to Trump successful nan 2016 Republican statesmanlike information race, flirted early this rhythm pinch different White House tally earlier confirming successful precocious 2022 he would activity a 3rd word successful nan Senate.
The legislator connected Saturday will subordinate pinch volunteers and staff, who will walk nan time telephone banking and doorway knocking connected behalf of Cruz. The run says it has already surpassed 1 cardinal nonstop elector contacts and notes it's connected way to deed historical grassroots numbers.
O'Rourke raised importantly much than Cruz successful 2018 successful a high-profile title that grabbed plentifulness of nationalist attention.
In an question and reply past week connected Fox News' "Hannity," Cruz based on that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, nan apical Democrat successful nan chamber, "has been explicit. He's coming aft Texas. I americium his No. 1 target successful nan full country."
Cruz based on nan Democrats "are going to walk much than $100 cardinal this year. ... They're flooding millions of dollars into Texas."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during votes successful nan U.S. Capitol Dec. 5, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The legislator has agelong been a instrumentality favourite of conservatives crossed nan state owed to his galore broadsides against Democrats, from President Barack Obama early successful his tenure to his attacks connected President Biden successful caller years.
But Cruz, pinch nan caller motorboat of "Democrats for Cruz," is showcasing his bipartisan chops arsenic he intends to pull left-leaning voters.
He's besides trying to overgarment Allred arsenic a partisan who votes successful lockstep pinch his party.
But Allred's run counters that his bid is astir "rejecting nan divisiveness of Ted Cruz and fighting for Texans’ freedoms."
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Democrats clasp a slim 51-49 majority successful nan chamber, which includes 3 independent senators who caucus pinch nan Democratic conference.
That intends Republicans request a nett summation of either 1 aliases 2 seats to triumph backmost nan majority, depending connected which statement controls nan White House aft this year's statesmanlike election.
The mathematics and nan representation favor nan GOP successful 2024. Democrats are defending 23 of nan 34 seats up for grabs. Three of those seats are successful reddish states Trump carried successful 2020 — West Virginia, Montana and Ohio.
Democrats are besides defending an unfastened spot successful West Virginia aft Sen. Joe Manchin announced precocious past twelvemonth he would not activity re-election.
Five different blue-held seats are successful cardinal plaything states narrowly carried by President Biden successful 2020 — Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
In blue-state Maryland, Senate Republicans scored a recruiting occurrence pinch celebrated erstwhile GOP Gov. Larry Hogan.
Texas and Florida, wherever incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is seeking re-election, look to beryllium nan only competitory GOP-held seats up for grabs this November.
Get nan latest updates from nan 2024 run trail, exclusive interviews and much astatine our Fox News Digital predetermination hub.
Paul Steinhauser is simply a authorities newsman based successful New Hampshire.
