Now why would Bush do this?
Former President George W. Bush is making a notable return to Republican fundraising as the GOP battles for control of the U.S. Senate — but one Trump-backed Republican was conspicuously left out.
Bush appeared as a special guest at a major Dallas fundraiser hosted by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The event was designed to raise money for GOP Senate candidates in several competitive states.
Missing from the list was Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee backed by President Donald Trump.
The exclusion does not prove that Bush is attempting to sabotage Trump. But it puts a spotlight on a very real political divide between Republicans associated with the Bush era and the Trump-aligned wing of the party.
Bush And Cornyn Rally Republican Donors
Cornyn hosted the Dallas fundraiser for Republican Senate candidates, with Bush appearing as a special guest.
The event benefits Maintain the Majority, a joint fundraising committee supporting GOP candidates in several important Senate contests.
Republicans receiving support include Susan Collins, Jon Husted and Dan Sullivan.
The committee is also helping John E. Sununu in New Hampshire, Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa and former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan.
According to the fundraiser invitation reported by The New York Times, contribution levels ranged from $1,000 to $61,500.
Paxton, however, was not included.
That omission is especially noteworthy because Paxton is the Republican Senate nominee in Bush and Cornyn’s home state of Texas.
Paxton Defeated Cornyn In Bitter Republican Primary
The dispute has roots in one of the most expensive and contentious Republican primaries of the 2026 election cycle.
Paxton defeated Cornyn in the May 26 Republican runoff, ending the longtime senator’s effort to secure another term.
Trump endorsed Paxton shortly before the runoff, while prominent Republican donors and groups backing Cornyn spent heavily trying to keep the incumbent senator in office.
The rivalry did not disappear after the primary.
Cornyn has openly said he intends to direct his fundraising network toward Republican candidates in other states rather than helping Paxton in Texas.
“What I’m doing is I’m raising money to help in places like New Hampshire and Michigan and Alaska,” Cornyn told The Texas Tribune in August.
That decision leaves a striking situation: a retiring Republican senator from Texas is raising substantial amounts of money for Republican candidates elsewhere while declining to do the same for his own party’s Texas nominee.
Cornyn Publicly Criticizes Paxton
Cornyn has not hidden his dissatisfaction with his former primary opponent.
He criticized Paxton’s campaign operation and fundraising in an August interview with The Texas Tribune, arguing that the Republican nominee was making the race more difficult than necessary.
Paxton pushed back publicly, saying Cornyn did not know how much time he was putting into the campaign.
The continuing feud illustrates how primary battles can leave lasting divisions even after voters have selected a nominee.
And in Texas, those divisions now involve some of the biggest names in Republican politics.
George W. Bush Backed Cornyn
Bush was not merely an observer during the Republican primary.
Federal campaign finance records cited in reporting about the race show that the former president contributed $5,000 to Cornyn’s campaign.
Bush’s involvement adds another dimension to the Republican divide because Paxton has previously defeated another member of the Bush family.
In 2022, Paxton defeated George P. Bush — George W. Bush’s nephew — in the Republican primary for Texas attorney general.
Four years later, Paxton has again found himself on the opposite side of Republicans connected to the Bush political network.
Bush-Era Republicans Gather Behind Fundraiser
Several well-known figures with ties to the Bush-era Republican establishment were also involved with the Dallas event.
The fundraiser’s host committee included former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former Bush White House counsel Harriet Miers and Republican donor Harlan Crow.
The presence of those figures reinforced the contrast between an older generation of Texas Republican leadership and the Trump-aligned coalition that has become increasingly influential within the party.
Not every Republican Senate nominee was included in the fundraiser. Republican nominees in Georgia and North Carolina were also outside the fundraising committee, according to reporting on the event.
That broader context is important when interpreting Paxton’s exclusion.
Trump-Aligned Groups Pour Money Into Texas
Paxton may not have the financial support of Bush and Cornyn, but other Republican organizations are spending heavily on his behalf.
MAGA Inc., the major super PAC aligned with Trump, announced a $10 million advertising campaign in Texas in September.
Half of that investment was designated for advertising supporting Paxton, while the other half was aimed at opposing Democratic nominee James Talarico.
Another major Republican organization has gone even further.
Texas PAC, which is associated with the Senate Leadership Fund, purchased roughly $51 million in advertising, according to AdImpact figures reported by The Texas Tribune.
Those investments have dramatically changed the financial landscape of the Texas Senate contest.
Paxton Faces Major Fundraising Challenge
Outside assistance has become particularly important for Paxton because Talarico has maintained a substantial candidate-level fundraising advantage.
The Texas Tribune reported that Talarico had raised more at this stage than any Texas general-election candidate in the previous decade and substantially outraised Paxton during the campaign.
That disparity has put additional pressure on national Republican organizations and outside groups to spend money supporting Paxton.
Paxton’s campaign also launched its first significant general-election broadcast advertising effort in September, focusing on South Texas markets and economic issues.
Republican Divide Moves Into The Spotlight
The Dallas fundraiser provides a clear example of the unresolved tensions within the Republican Party following the Texas primary.
Bush and Cornyn are using their political relationships and donor networks to help Republican Senate candidates across the country.
Paxton, meanwhile, is receiving substantial support from Trump-aligned organizations and other national Republican groups.
The political divide is real.
What cannot be established from the fundraiser alone is whether Bush’s decision amounted to an intentional attempt to undermine Trump.
What the public record does show is that Bush supported Cornyn during the Republican primary, Paxton defeated Cornyn with Trump’s backing, and Bush has now joined a fundraising effort supporting several Republican Senate nominees while excluding Paxton.
With control of the Senate at stake in November, the lingering feud among Texas Republicans is likely to remain under scrutiny as both parties pour money into one of the country’s most closely watched Senate campaigns.
