AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Forty-three days before the election, neither presidential campaign is making an earnest effort to compete for historically red Texas, but both are returning once again to tap into Texas’ bottomless well of campaign cash.
Republican candidate for vice president J.D. Vance began his fundraising swing Sunday night in Austin alongside Gov. Greg Abbott with a dinner at the home of Joe Lonsdale, the founder of Palantir Technologies. He will continue on to two events in Fort Worth and a high-dollar dinner in Dallas on Tuesday.
Travis County Republican Party Chairman Matt Mackowiak was at Lonsdale’s event. He told Nexstar it attracted more than 100 people and raised more than a million dollars for the Trump campaign.
“Everyone was quite impressed with how sharp he was, the command he has of substance and policy, his clarity and his, I think, very impressive communication style,” Mackowiak said.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is headlining a star-studded “Freedom to Vote” rally at San Antonio College on Monday afternoon alongside San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Joaquin and Julian Castro, and Democratic candidates for the state House. The event is organized by Texas Offense, the Texas Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign with Senate candidate Colin Allred.
“We’re all excited to hear from our Second Gentleman, and just the idea that he is here in Bexar County, and they’re making their presence known… As we know, they always have to hit the swing states, but you know what? Texas is starting to look like we’re turning really purple.,” Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Monica Ramirez Alcántara told Nexstar.
Ramirez Alcántara hopes Emhoff’s visit will drive not just fundraising, but turnout, and will hopefully balloon some lower ballot candidates in key races for state House pickups. She pointed specifically to the races for House Districts 118 and 121, as well as Susan Korbel’s race for Bexar County Commissioner
“We’re working really hard to get our president, and we know it’ll be Madame President, all the way down to the bottom (of the ballot),” she said.
Emhoff will then travel to Austin on Tuesday and Houston on Wednesday.
The trips are just the latest attempts for each campaign to attract Texas donors. Last month, Vance was in San Antonio for a fundraiser hosted by the International Bank of Commerce CEO Dennis Nixon. Tim Walz has also raised money in Dallas, and Harris made multiple stops to Texas’ big, blue cities in the first weeks of her campaign.
“Texas is used to being an ATM for both parties in presidential election years. It hasn’t been in play, probably since 1980, at the presidential level. So candidates come here to raise money and they don’t do much else, and that’s not that unusual,” Mackowiak said.