Sen. Ted Cruz pitches 2026 Texas Senate race while steering most donations to his campaign

Cruz's fundraising appeal highlights the 2026 Senate race but defaults donations so 99% goes to his campaign unless donors click through fine print.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:15pm

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Sen. Ted Cruz is sending fundraising emails to conservative donors that warn about the upcoming 2026 Texas Senate race and the need for Republicans to win. However, the fine print shows that 99% of the donations are going to Cruz's own campaign account, with only 1% going to a fund for the eventual Republican nominee.

Why it matters

This approach by Cruz has raised concerns among campaign finance experts, who say it is deceptive and that Cruz is diverting money away from the actual 2026 Senate race for his own personal ambition. The high-profile and high-spending Republican primary in Texas for the 2026 Senate seat is also drawing attention to Cruz's fundraising tactics.

The details

Cruz's fundraising appeal includes buttons to make donations, with preset amounts ranging from $23 to $7,000. The fine print shows that 99% of each donation will go to Cruz's campaign account, while only 1% will go to a new "Texas Nominee Fund" for the eventual Republican Senate nominee. This split can only be changed manually by the donor. Campaign finance experts have called this setup deceptive, saying Cruz is trading on concerns about the 2026 Texas Senate race to benefit himself, even though he is not on the ballot that year.

  • The Texas primary is scheduled for March 3, 2026.
  • Cruz's fundraising appeal was sent in late January 2026.

The players

Sen. Ted Cruz

The junior U.S. Senator from Texas who is using fundraising emails to warn about the 2026 Texas Senate race and steer most donations to his own campaign account.

Jasmine Crockett

A U.S. Representative from Dallas who is competing for the Democratic Senate nomination in Texas.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn

The senior U.S. Senator from Texas who is seeking re-election to a fifth six-year term in 2026.

Ken Paxton

The Texas Attorney General who is challenging Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt

A U.S. Representative from Houston who is also challenging Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary.

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What they’re saying

“Cruz is basically diverting money away from the Cornyn-Paxton race for his own personal ambition.”

— Brett Kappel, Campaign finance lawyer and former legal counsel to three presidential campaigns

“Potential donors will think that they are giving to the currently unknown eventual Republican Senate candidate when, in fact, almost all of the funds will go to Cruz.”

— Brett Kappel, Campaign finance lawyer and former legal counsel to three presidential campaigns

“It's a lack of transparency that preys upon primarily older donors.”

— Nancy Bocskor, Former GOP fundraiser and director of the Center for Women in Government at Texas Woman's University

What’s next

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