In the aftermath of the disastrous midterm elections for Republicans, the blame game has largely centered on what’s going on with former President Donald Trump ballot box toxicityBut conservatives may also want to take a more critical look at the record of another self-proclaimed Republican influencer, Senator Ted Cruz.
Cruz stamped more than 20 Republican candidates in this midterm election, but it didn’t go well. Most of them have lost or are still losing with some totals trickling in.
Cruz has focused his support for House elections, particularly his “Cruise 25 for 22 Victory FundCommunity Chest Committee. Of the 24 contenders, he is the only one who has won or is currently in the lead in the race. The group includes Mike Lee, one of Cruise’s fellow senators. Mike Lee won re-election after a surprisingly tough challenge from independent candidate Evan McMullin.
A “Truth and Courage” Super PAC tied with Cruz did even worse. Groups openly aligned with Cruise —probably illegal— won only one of them 3 races provided funding. That’s a victory for Rep. Corey Mills, who beat Karen Greene for the vacant seat in Florida.
Ted Cruz’s strange, anti-conservative stance on the election
Two other candidates, Caroline Levitt of New Hampshire and Yesli Vega of Virginia —both of who He lost the election in an election campaign heavily invested by Republicans. Leavitt and Vega were also part of Cruz’s ’25 for 22′ team, but his one Super PAC winner, Mills, was not a member.
Cruz also sits on a joint committee for a small number of Senate candidates. The group says,Win the 2022 Senate.Alongside Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) counts his leadership PAC. Of his five nominees for the 2022 Commission, Katie Britt of Alabama, his JD Vance of Ohio, and Ted Budd of North Carolina, three of him won.Dr. Mehmet Oz Admitted In Pennsylvania and Adam Laxalt lost in Nevada.
And outspoken Texas conservatives announced— the day after the election — he would be the first official to make a personal appearance in Georgia for Republican Herschel Walker’s runoff campaign.
For Cruise, it seems to be a newfound enthusiasm.he used to exterior to help walkers in georgia Football legends struggled According to available federal campaign funds, Cruise and Cornyn’s joint fundraising efforts did not include them, and no committees associated with Cruise funded Walker for the general election. data.
The move was made by advisers and Republican power brokers out of fear of a repeat of the 2021 Georgia election, in which Democrats stole two seats. begging trump It avoided a run-off vote and even delayed its expected 2024 candidacy announcement until the race decided.
However, Cruise was also in the 2021 runoff vote. At the time, he posted a Facebook ad in Georgia asking for donations to help Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate.
The Trump candidate frowned. Is this the final straw?
“Gun abuse, tax increases, open borders, and the Supreme Court piling up. If they win the Georgia Senate election, that’s the agenda of the Radical Democrats,” Cruz said in the ad, noting that he’s “Keep Georgia.” He solicited small donations to what he called the “Red Fund.”
Unfortunately for the Georgia Republican candidate, All the money went directly to Ted Cruzand both Republicans lost.
But it wasn’t just Cruz’s candidate who performed poorly. He also tested the limits of the law to do so.
a “Overtly cynicalElection law trolls, Cruz’s political efforts this year appear to defy rules designed to keep candidates out of super PACs. The Daily Beast previously reported A surprising serendipitous link between Cruise and the Truth and Courage Super PAC, both among the group’s mega-donors and its vendors.
The Campaign Finance Act makes it illegal for a candidate to establish, direct, fund, or manage a super PAC that raises unlimited funds. and Cruz personal appearance and truth and courage NATIONAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS — ONE OUTLET called It’s “Cruz’s ‘Truth and Courage PAC’ Tour”—raising questions As to exactly why he was campaigning.
Super PAC site promotion A national tour with Cruz has selected four Senate candidates: Laxalt, Walker, Vance and Breakmaster of Arizona. Only Vance won the election.
And earlier this year, Cruz filed some bizarre reports. Turned his own campaign into something like a super PAC, making a series of independent expenditures on behalf of former staffer Kathy Garcia, which may have violated coordination rules. This boost helped push Garcia over the line in the Texas primary.
On Tuesday, Garcia lost the general election to Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).
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