News: New Heights Action, a super PAC associated with Senate Minority Whip John Thune, raised and doled out $3 million to fellow super PACs aimed at boosting Senate Republicans.
New Heights for America, a related non-profit group that doesn’t have to disclose donors, raised $8 million, bringing the total raised by the pair of Thune-related groups to more than $9 million. The non-profit has made grants focused on issue advocacy in swing states and non-profits such as RightVote, which is working to educate early and absentee voters in key Senate states. This effort is being championed by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).
NHA Action raised $3.15 million last quarter. Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of private equity giant Blackstone, donated $1 million. New Heights for America gave $2 million. And Golub Capital, a New York-based asset manager, gave $100,000.
NHA Action donated $500,000 to Buckeye Values, which supports Bernie Moreno in Ohio; Keystone Renewal, which supports Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania; Republican Leadership Fund, which supports Sam Brown in Nevada; and More Jobs Less Government, which supports Tim Sheehy in Montana.
The PAC gave $250,000 to GLCF, which supports former Rep. Mike Rogers’ (R-Mich.) bid for Senate in Michigan; Maryland’s Future, which supports former Gov. Larry Hogan’s attempt to win a Senate seat in Maryland; and Truth and Courage PAC, which is aimed at boosting Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Conservative Values for Utah, which is designed to help Rep. John Curtis’ (R-Utah) Senate bid, and American Leadership PAC, which is boosting Rep. Jim Banks’ (R-Ind.) Senate bid, both got $150,000.
Thune, of course, is running to succeed Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader, a role that requires a strong outside political operation to boost incumbents and candidates across the country.
The organizations are run by Johnny DeStefano, a longtime GOP insider who worked in the Trump White House, and Paula Dukes, who has worked in fundraising for Thune for more than a decade.
Sources involved in the fundraising say that the contributions are above and beyond what the donors have committed to give to other Senate GOP political groups like the Senate Leadership Fund.
More Thune fundraising news: The South Dakota Republican has raised more than $19 million so far this cycle, as of the close of the second quarter, according to a source familiar with Thune’s political operation.
This cycle, Thune has headlined or is scheduled to headline around 170 events. These are either directly for candidates or through the NRSC.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), another candidate to succeed McConnell, hit $20 million raised this cycle as of a month ago. Cornyn and Thune are both pitching themselves as strong fundraisers who have what it takes to build and maintain a robust political operation.
