Cornyn Leads GOP Rivals in Senate Fundraising Battle

Sen. John Cornyn enters the fall campaign season with a significant financial lead over his top Republican challengers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, according to third-quarter campaign finance reports.

Cornyn raised $3.36 million between July and September through his official campaign account and two joint fundraising committees, according to The Texas Tribune. Of that total, $910,000 went directly to his campaign, with the remainder going to joint committees that can fund campaign-aligned efforts, such as television advertising.

Paxton raised $1.3 million in the same period, surpassing Cornyn’s direct campaign total. However, Cornyn ended the quarter with a larger cash reserve: $6 million compared to Paxton’s $3.2 million. 

Paxton’s campaign has criticized Cornyn for including joint fundraising totals in public tallies, calling the move misleading. 

Cornyn’s team defends the approach, citing common Republican Senate strategies that allow such funds to support campaign activity indirectly.

Rep. Hunt, who entered the race in late September, reported raising $366,000 during the quarter, with an additional $377,000 raised through a joint committee. He ended the quarter with $1.5 million.

“I think I can win if I have $20 million,” Paxton said to Punchbowl News. “I’ve run these primaries in Texas before. I honestly don’t see how (Cornyn) overcomes his numbers.” Paxton also pointed to a broad base of over 13,600 donors and said he remains confident in his campaign’s grassroots support. 

The Republican Senate primary in Texas is scheduled for March 3, with a filing deadline of December 8. Democrats James Talarico and Colin Allred led all Senate candidates in third-quarter fundraising, bringing in $6.2 million and $4.1 million, respectively.