News: Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has raised $20 million so far in the 2024 cycle, according to a source familiar with his political operations, besting his total for the 2022 cycle.
Cornyn is running to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader, and fundraising is a key element of his pitch to fellow Republicans. Aside from McConnell, Cornyn has been the top Senate GOP fundraiser for the last 15 years.
The $20 million figure includes money raised through his joint fundraising committee, dollars raised for the NRSC and direct fundraising for candidates.
Cornyn is heading to Ohio on Saturday to campaign for GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, who’s running against Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). Cornyn will be the special guest at a campaign reception for Moreno in Columbus.
Of course, Senate GOP candidates who win their races in November will get to vote in the leadership races, which are slated to take place just a few weeks later. So there’s a direct benefit for Cornyn here to get some face time with Moreno.
We’ll have more on what the Senate GOP leadership candidates — Cornyn, Senate Minority Whip John Thune and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) — are up to this summer in the next edition of our special campaign newsletter, The Tally.
More campaign news: St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, who’s mounting a serious primary challenge against Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), is stressing the need for Democratic unity in his first ads of the campaign.
Neither ad directly mentions Bush, the far-left Squad member who’s seen as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents. But Bell’s message is clear — he’ll stand with President Joe Biden, while Bush pushes her own agenda.
“You can’t just cheer from the bleachers or grandstand for yourself,” Bell says in one ad. “You’ve got to be a team player that stands with President Biden… When Democrats come together, we can accomplish big things.”
Another spot touts his record of criminal justice reform through his work in the St. Louis prosecutor’s office.
