Anti-Ted Cruz Super PAC Announces Plan To Use $1.2 Million To Expose Senator
A new super PAC has been created in opposition to Texas Senator Ted Cruz’ quest for re-election and has hit the ground running with a pledge to spend $1.2 million in ad buys during the less than two-week run-up to Election Day, according to reports from the Texas Tribune.
The PAC, called Texas Forever, revealed its plans on Thursday, saying that the ads would air primarily in Dallas and make it “clear to the people of Texas who Ted Cruz really is.” The $1.2 million expenditure signals the largest amount spent by an outside group as Cruz is locked in a dogfight with his Democratic challenger, El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke.
The treasurer of Texas Forever is the Texan political consultant Chris Lippincott. While the ads have not been made available yet, Lippincott did give a statement about the intentions of the PAC.
“Ted Cruz is a phony politician propped up by millions of out of state dark dollars who has spent the past six years doing favors for his special interest donors; forgetting the people of Texas who sent him to the Senate in the first place,” Lippincott said.
“We are standing up to make sure people across the great state of Texas know his shameful record of selling us out to further his career in politics.”
Anti-Cruz universe gets some real money via @texaslippy — and right after the pre-general deadline, meaning donors won't have to be disclosed until post-election https://t.co/VgRfCJKRLb #txsen
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) October 25, 2018
Texas Forever filed as a super PAC with the Federal Election Commission on October 19, which allows it to avoid the standard that would force it to disclose its donor before the November 6 election, instead having the requirement pushed back to December 6. When asked if there was any chance that the PAC would disclose its donors prior to the deadline, Lippincott said that they are “going to follow the FEC schedule.”
Outsider spending in support of O’Rourke has been minimal so far, particularly in comparison to the massive amounts of money that has been poured into Cruz’ campaign, reaching into the millions. According to FEC records, the highest performing anti-Ted Cruz PAC has been the Fire Ted Cruz PAC, which has raised $549,000 through October 17.
During his campaign, O’Rourke has disavowed the participation of any PACs getting involved in the race and has no interest in taking support from any outside groups. The latest influx of money fromTexas Forever has not changed his perspective.
“We’re not interested in the help of any Super PACs or special interests and don’t want their involvement in this race, which is why our grassroots campaign has accepted exactly $0.00 from PACs in this election,” O’Rourke spokesman Chris Evans said in a statement.
