Former President George W. Bush raised cash for Republicans on Monday night but skipped the Texas candidate who beat his nephew. The New York Times reported that Sen. John Cornyn hosted the event with Bush as a “special guest” for the Maintain the Majority PAC. Noticeably absent from the guest list was Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the man who defeated Cornyn in the May primary.
Instead, the Dallas fundraiser supported candidates in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio. This exclusion marks a clear divide between the Bush family and the Trump-aligned wing of the party.
Cornyn’s own X post announced the start of early voting in Texas without mentioning Paxton once. “Early voting in Texas starts Monday, October 19, 2026 (28 days from today, September 21),” the post read, according to Fox News. It runs through Friday, October 30, with Election Day set for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Early voting in Texas starts Monday, October 19, 2026 (28 days from today, September 21). It runs through Friday, October 30.
The 2026 midterms (Election Day) are Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — 43 days from today.
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) September 21, 2026
While the Bush-aligned group sits on the sidelines for Paxton, Donald Trump’s allies are pouring millions into his campaign. A Sunday-released FEC filing indicates MAGA Inc. holds over $415 million in cash. Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt oversees this war chest.
Paxton’s campaign has already gained roughly $15 million from MAGA Inc. and $54 million from a PAC linked to Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Earlier this month, Texas Public Radio stated Bush told them he had “retired from politics” prior to this latest fundraising effort.
The stakes are high as Republicans try to hold their slim 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats are eyeing seats against Paxton in Texas and candidates like Mike Collins in North Carolina. Republicans hope to flip seats in Michigan, New Hampshire, and Georgia to secure their power.
The tension between the establishment and the Trump base is real, but the money flow favors the base. Cornyn and his allies spent over $90 million in the primary and still lost to Paxton. That loss proves that voters in Texas want a fighter, not a status quo politician.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) admitted the close races are alarming even in safe states. “I’m going to Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa to help raise money and campaign for our very good candidates,” he said last week, according to the Daily Wire.
The Dallas fundraiser showed that old guard Republicans are worried about the direction of the party. Yet the voters in Texas have already spoken loudly in that primary fight. Paxton is going to win this race.
