As he faces a next straight tough re-election campaign, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is upping his initiatives.
The conservative firebrand senator working for a third six-calendar year phrase representing the Lone Star Point out in the Senate will crew up Saturday in Houston with employees, volunteers, grassroots supporters, pals and family for the official opening of his 2024 marketing campaign headquarters.
The opening will come a couple of days after Cruz announced a massive marketing campaign funds haul in excess of the previous 3 months.
The senator introduced in $9.7 million all through the to start with quarter of 2024 fundraising, in accordance to figures shared first with Fox Information Wednesday. Cruz’s haul from his three fundraising committees was approximately double the $5.5 million he introduced in the preceding 3 months.
Initially ON FOX: CRUZ HAULS IN Virtually $10 MILLION THE Previous A few MONTHS
And the senator’s political crew mentioned that, as of the stop of March, Cruz had $15.1 million cash on hand from his 3 fundraising committees. They observed that figure incorporates the amounts he has sent to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, and the Republican Social gathering of Texas (RPT), which are committed to his race.
Marketing campaign spokesperson Nick Maddux informed Fox News the senator “is off to a incredibly solid commence this 12 months as the momentum to get him throughout the complete line in November continues to enhance across the complete Lone Star State.”
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Cruz, who narrowly defeated Rep. Beto O’Rourke in a tough-fought 2018 Senate struggle, is likely going to will need each individual cent he raises, as he faces a bruising re-election bid in opposition to Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred.
Allred, a former NFL player, civil rights legal professional and 3-term congressman representing a suburban Dallas district, on Thursday just about matched Cruz’s fundraising. His marketing campaign announced he hauled in over $9.5 million during the initial quarter.
Paige Hutchinson, Allred’s marketing campaign supervisor, emphasized the fundraising “continues our momentum to build a robust marketing campaign to gain in November and deliver Ted Cruz packing for excellent.”
Allred very likely gained a improve from President Biden, who told major-greenback donors throughout a fundraiser in Dallas last thirty day period, “You’ve got received to elect Colin as your upcoming senator … so Ted Cruz joins a different loser, Donald Trump.”
The former president is the GOP’s 2024 presumptive presidential nominee.
Cruz, who was runner-up to Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race, flirted early this cycle with yet another White Household run just before confirming in late 2022 he would seek out a third expression in the Senate.
The senator on Saturday will be a part of with volunteers and staff, who will spend the working day cellphone banking and door knocking on behalf of Cruz. The campaign suggests it has previously surpassed 1 million immediate voter contacts and notes it can be on monitor to hit historic grassroots figures.
The place THE PRESIDENTIAL AND SENATE SHOWDOWNS STAND IN TEXAS
“Sen. Cruz will go on to pound the pavement working day in and day out, assembly and chatting to Texans in each and every corner of the point out to keep Texas Texas and guarantee that we stay the nation’s bastion of liberty,” Maddux emphasized.
O’Rourke elevated drastically additional than Cruz in 2018 in a substantial-profile race that grabbed plenty of national notice.
In an interview very last 7 days on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Cruz argued that Senate The greater part Chief Chuck Schumer, the best Democrat in the chamber, “has been explicit. He is coming immediately after Texas. I am his No. 1 goal in the complete place.”
Cruz argued the Democrats “are going to invest much more than $100 million this calendar year. … They are flooding millions of dollars into Texas.”
The senator has extensive been a enthusiast preferred of conservatives across the place due to his a lot of broadsides from Democrats, from President Barack Obama early in his tenure to his attacks on President Biden in modern many years.
But Cruz, with the new launch of “Democrats for Cruz,” is showcasing his bipartisan chops as he aims to draw in still left-leaning voters.
He is also attempting to paint Allred as a partisan who votes in lockstep with his party.
But Allred’s marketing campaign counters that his bid is about “rejecting the divisiveness of Ted Cruz and preventing for Texans’ freedoms.”
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Democrats keep a trim 51-49 majority in the chamber, which features a few independent senators who caucus with the Democratic meeting.
That means Republicans require a net attain of either a single or two seats to acquire again the the vast majority, depending on which bash controls the White Home just after this year’s presidential election.
The math and the map favor the GOP in 2024. Democrats are defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. 3 of people seats are in purple states Trump carried in 2020 — West Virginia, Montana and Ohio.
Democrats are also defending an open seat in West Virginia immediately after Sen. Joe Manchin introduced late very last 12 months he would not seek re-election.
5 other blue-held seats are in critical swing states narrowly carried by President Biden in 2020 — Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
In blue-condition Maryland, Senate Republicans scored a recruiting good results with well known previous GOP Gov. Larry Hogan.
Texas and Florida, where by incumbent Sen. Rick Scott is seeking re-election, show up to be the only aggressive GOP-held seats up for grabs this November.