The fundraising effort is also backing three Republicans competing for seats currently open or held by Democrats: Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa, former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan and former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire. The races span several states where control of the Senate could hinge on relatively small margins.
The gathering comes as both political parties are concentrating enormous amounts of money on a limited number of competitive Senate contests. Republicans currently hold the Senate majority, making the allocation of campaign cash a central issue for GOP strategists as Election Day approaches.
Among the states receiving significant attention are Maine, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa and Alaska, along with Texas, North Carolina and Georgia. The competition has produced an increasingly expensive campaign environment, with national organizations and outside groups reserving millions of dollars for advertising and voter outreach.
Cornyn has been particularly outspoken about the need to make strategic decisions concerning where Republican money should be spent. The Texas senator previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee and has argued that national resources cannot simply be poured into every competitive state without considering the broader Senate map.
“Pouring another $100 million in Texas jeopardizes other races, and I think the most important thing in the end is that Republicans maintain the majority in the Senate,” Cornyn told Semafor.
That calculation helps explain one of the most conspicuous aspects of Monday night’s gathering: Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas, was not among the candidates benefiting from the fundraiser.
Paxton defeated Cornyn in a costly and closely watched Republican primary before securing the GOP nomination. President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton during that contest, and the Texas attorney general is now running against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the general election.
The absence of Paxton was particularly notable given the extraordinary amount of money flowing into the Texas Senate contest. The Texas Tribune has described the race as one of the nation’s most expensive Senate competitions, with outside organizations spending heavily on both sides.
Cornyn has said he intends to support the Republican ticket in November, but his relationship with Paxton remains complicated following their bitter primary battle. Cornyn and Paxton spent heavily against one another during the Republican contest, and major donors associated with Cornyn have largely stayed away from Paxton’s campaign.
At the same time, Paxton has received substantial assistance from other Republican-aligned organizations. Trump’s MAGA Inc. committed at least $10 million to support Paxton, while additional national Republican groups have made multimillion-dollar investments in the Texas race.
Bush also has a recent financial connection to Cornyn. Federal campaign records previously showed that the former president contributed $5,000 to Cornyn’s campaign during the primary. ABC News reported that Bush was among the Republicans from the party’s older establishment network who supported Cornyn while Paxton benefited from Trump’s backing and support from the GOP’s populist wing.
The Bush-Cornyn relationship stretches back decades. Bush was Texas governor from 1995 until he became president in 2001, while Cornyn served as Texas attorney general before entering the Senate in 2002. Their overlapping years in Texas Republican politics have kept the two connected long after Bush’s presidency ended.
The Dallas event also featured several figures associated with the Bush-era Republican establishment. Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, longtime Republican donor Harlan Crow and Harriet Miers, who served as White House counsel under Bush, were among the prominent names connected to the gathering.
Paxton was not the only major Republican Senate candidate missing from the fundraising committee. Michael Whatley of North Carolina and Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia were also left off the list of candidates receiving support through the event. ABC News reported that some Republican operatives believe resources should be concentrated elsewhere on the Senate map.
The Texas race nevertheless continues to attract major Republican spending. Paxton has received backing from Trump-aligned organizations, while Senate Leadership Fund has also announced millions of dollars in advertising support. Meanwhile, Talarico has maintained a significant fundraising operation of his own.
The competing fundraising strategies illustrate the difficult choices facing Republican leaders as the midterms draw closer. With a limited number of races likely to receive the bulk of national spending, party officials are weighing where additional dollars can be deployed while trying to protect incumbents and compete for open or Democratic-held seats.
Bush’s return to the fundraising trail adds another layer to that broader Republican effort. His appearance did not include an endorsement of Paxton at the Dallas event, but it placed the former president alongside Cornyn in an effort focused squarely on preserving Republican Senate control.
With millions of dollars already committed across the country and more campaign spending expected in the final stretch, the battle for the Senate is rapidly becoming a contest not only over candidates and voters, but also over where each party believes its limited political resources should be deployed.
