Senate Update: Democrats go “on offense” against Cruz and Scott

In a previous edition, I discussed how the certainty of flipping a Senate seat in West Virginia and the very encouraging trajectory of Tim Sheehy’s challenge to Democrat Sen. Jon Tester in Montana had made Republicans overwhelming favorites to control the Senate next year.

As word spread, Chuck Schumer probably heard an earful from the donors who have lavishly funded the web of campaign groups he controls.

Rather than admit that Republicans are in a strong position to hold every one of the 11 currently “red” Senate seats up for reelection, Schumer and the Senate’s campaign committee chairman Gary Peters announced to great fanfare that Team Blue is going “on offense” against Senator Rick Scott in Florida and Senator Ted Cruz in Texas.

Democrats are also working feverishly to breathe life into the campaign of Dan Osborn, a little-known “independent” challenger to Republican Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer. While they are constrained from publicizing their Cornhusker State efforts because Osborn claims he would be “independent” of Chuck Schumer and not necessarily support Democrat control of the Senate, Senate Democrats are putting their money where their mouth isn’t - sinking $4 million into anti-Fischer ads.

RJC has always stressed the importance of protecting these Republican seats. We endorsed Senator Cruz and Senator Scott early in the cycle. Through the 2023-24 cycle, no congressional candidate has received more through our PAC portal than Senator Cruz. RJC activists have organized fundraisers for both candidates.

But there’s more work to be done. Democrats have reserved $48 million for TV ads to attack Senator Cruz and are likely to invest a great deal more in all these races in the coming days. The Cook Political Report moved the race rating in the Democrats’ favor, from Likely Republican to Lean Republican, acknowledging that the Texas race has become competitive.

I’ve always been confident about Senator Cruz’s chances of winning a third term and Senator Scott’s chances of winning a second. Their opponents are typical Nancy Pelosi-aligned Democrats - just too liberal to close the sale with a majority of voters in a red state, once voters hear about their voting records.

Senator Cruz’s opponent Congressman Colin Allred just recently voted to withhold needed military aid to Israel and voted against sanctioning the antisemitic International Criminal Court which has issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister.

When she was in Congress, Senator Scott’s opponent, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, criticized President Trump for taking out Iran’s terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani. Both Allred and Mucarsel-Powell are strongly backed by J Street. They would be disasters for the US-Israel relationship in the Senate.

But they won’t get to the Senate if we follow through with all the support we can muster for Cruz and Scott.

Nebraska-2: Rep. Don Bacon (R) vs. Juan Vargas (D)

One of the most competitive and significant House races in the country is Don Bacon’s bid for a fifth term in Nebraska-2. Bacon, a decorated 30-year Air Force veteran, has been an outstanding leader on the Armed Services committee and one of the most articulate and committed advocates on behalf of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Given all the attention to Nebraska-2’s electoral vote as a factor in the presidential race, Congressman Bacon has become a lightning rod for partisan tensions. The latest polls show that Kamala Harris is on track to win NE-2’s electoral vote by a margin at least as big as Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. That has put Congressman Bacon in serious peril of losing his seat to former state legislator Tony Vargas, who Bacon defeated 51-48 in 2022.

For the Jewish community, the stakes in this race are high. Imagine casting aside someone of Bacon’s caliber and wisdom and instead choosing Vargas, a party-line progressive who earned a J Street endorsement by dutifully reciting the anti-Israel organization’s favorite mantras:

Israel must end its illegal settlement activity in the West Bank, refrain from any unilateral acts of annexation, and respect human rights in the Palestinian Territories as key steps toward an agreement.

RJC has maxed out to Congressman Bacon and encourages your strong support for his reelection.

To victory,

Senator Norm Coleman
RJC National Chairman