Cruz criticises McConnell over lack of campaign support

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has voiced his displeasure with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the lack of support from the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund. “Sadly no, not a penny,” Cruz stated on a news agency’ “Life Liberty & Levin” when asked about receiving resources from the Senate Leadership Fund. He criticised McConnell, stating that the largest Republican super PAC, with $400 million, rewards senators who align with him while punishing those who oppose him. Although McConnell is legally barred from directly controlling spending decisions for the Senate Leadership Fund, he actively raises money for it, and its leadership includes his loyalists, such as CEO Steven Law, his former chief of staff.

Cruz and McConnell have a history of disagreements. In Cruz’s first year in the Senate, he pushed to defund the Affordable Care Act through a government funding fight, a strategy McConnell opposed, which led to a government shutdown in 2013, leaving the Affordable Care Act intact. The two have frequently clashed on tactics since then.

Cruz has warned that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has targeted him, with Democrats spending up to $150 million to defeat him. With Republicans feeling outmatched by Democrats in key House and Senate races, the GOP has a favourable 2024 Senate map, needing to defend only 11 seats compared to the Democrats’ 23, including three held by Independents. However, Democrats possess significant funds to defend their incumbents.

The Cook Political Report ranks Texas as the GOP’s weakest incumbent Senate seat for 2024, with a “Lean Republican” rating. Despite former President Donald Trump winning Texas by over 5.5 points in 2020, Democrats are hopeful of flipping the Senate seat. Cruz faces a strong challenge from Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), six years after narrowly defeating former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) by about 2.6 points in a blue wave year. For comparison, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who aims to succeed the retiring McConnell as GOP Senate leader, won his 2020 reelection by nearly 10 points.

“[Democrats] have been running attack ads nonstop. I just got up on TV three weeks ago. Now it’s not that I didn’t want to be on TV three months ago. We didn’t have the money. We’re being massively outspent,” Cruz stated. “Poll after poll show this race as a one-point race or a two-point race or a three-point race. There are two public polls that have come out that show me losing,” he added, emphasising the race’s tight margin.

The latest RealClearPolitics polling average for the Texas Senate race gives Cruz a 4.8 point lead over Allred. Last month, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced a multi-million-dollar ad campaign against Cruz. Internal polling and data from the Senate Leadership Fund indicate GOP concerns about both Texas and Nebraska, where Sen. Debbie Fischer (R-Neb.) faces a tougher-than-expected challenge from Independent candidate Dan Osborn. The group’s internal poll shows Cruz with a slim 1-point lead over Allred. Last month, the head of the Senate Leadership Fund downplayed the risks in Texas.

“I think we’ll be okay in both of them. This is a presidential cycle. Neither one of those states is going to be on the radar of the Democrats,” Law told the Wall Street Journal. “Senator Cruz and Senator Rick Scott have done what you want incumbents to do, which is to be prepared to raise money, to take their races seriously, and to run good campaigns.”

Republicans see 2024 Senate pickup opportunities in West Virginia, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona. Currently, they hold 49 seats compared to the Democrats’ 51.