Former President George W. Bush contributed $5,000 to Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) re-election bid in the Senate.
Cornyn will face Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a run-off to secure the GOP nomination.
Notable donor to Sen. John Cornyn’s campaign this cycle: former President George W. Bush (!!)
Bush donated $5k to Cornyn on March 13 (and listed his occupation as “former President”
$3,500 (max) is for the runoff and $1,500 is for the general
— Gabby Birenbaum (@birenbomb) April 15, 2026
The Hill has more:
Individuals are allowed to give a maximum of $3,500 to candidate committees per election.
Paxton had not yet filed his campaign filings for the first quarter of 2026 at the time of publication. Candidates have until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. to submit their fundraising hauls for the first quarter, spanning January to March.
Paxton and Cornyn are locked in a bitter Senate GOP runoff after neither candidate won more than half the vote outright in a March primary. A polling average of Texas Senate GOP primary runoff surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ shows Paxton narrowly ahead at 45 percent to Cornyn’s 43 percent.
Cornyn’s campaign reported raising $1.7 million in the first quarter, with close to $5 million in the bank. Between his campaign and political committees, the GOP senator has raised close to $9 million in total for the first quarter, starting off the second quarter with more than $8 million in the bank that can be used in the primary runoff.
Meanwhile, state Rep. James Talarico, who won the Democratic primary, reported an eyebrow-raising amount of donations in the first quarter.
Talarico announces $27 million in fundraising in first quarter of 2026 https://t.co/su6Rr138Lg
— San Antonio Express-News (@ExpressNews) April 15, 2026
POLITICO explained further:
Democrats running for the Senate posted some massive fundraising hauls in the first quarter.
The most striking number so far came from Texas. James Talarico brought in an eye-popping $27 million over the past three months, his campaign announced Wednesday morning ahead of today’s Federal Election Commission deadline, including $10 million since he won his March 3 primary.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff raised more than $14 million in the first quarter, according to his campaign. In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper raised $13.8 million. In Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola brought in $8.9 million, while former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown raised $12.5 million in his comeback bid.
The hauls, several of which set records in their respective states, underscore how Democrats are feeling increasingly bullish about their ability to flip the Senate. While Democrats still face an uphill climb due to the red lean of many states on the Senate map, President Donald Trump’s tanking approval ratings and the unpopularity of the ongoing war in Iran has the party feeling optimistic ahead of the midterms.
Democrats facing competitive primaries did not report as strong numbers, as donors split among several candidates. In Michigan, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow brought in $3 million, slightly ahead of Abdul El-Sayed’s $2.2 million. Rep. Haley Stevens, the third candidate in the race, has not yet revealed her fundraising numbers ahead of the FEC deadline on Wednesday. Iowa’s two Democratic candidates, state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls, each raised $1.1 million in the past quarter.