Sen. Ted Cruz is a money-raising machine, having raked in $54.7 million in campaign contributions since 2015.
Now that he’s been tarred with egging on the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Women’s March and a new progressive PAC are trying convince the Texas Republican’s former supporters to demand a refund.
Using publicly accessible federal records, volunteers with Women’s March and Boot Texas Republicans PAC are sending letters to 7,000 donors who gave Ted Cruz $1,000 or more in any of the past four years. So far, they’ve delivered 2,000 of the handwritten messages, which urge recipients to demand a return of their donation and publicly pledge never to donate to Cruz again.
Heightening the potential embarrassment factor, the donors’ names are posted publicly at defundcruz.com.
“Ted Cruz incited violence and tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election,” Boot Texas Republicans co-founder Zack Malitz said in a written statement. “The donors who have enabled his political career have a responsibility to act now by demanding their money back and publicly pledging never to give to Cruz again.”
Women’s March Executive Director Rachel O’Leary Carmona said the campaign is meant to hold Cruz responsible for spreading false election claims that fueled a pro-Trump mob’s deadly Capitol attack.
“Cruz’s donors must make clear that his anti-democracy, violent behavior is inexcusable by committing to never give another dollar,” she said in a written statement. “Donors have outsized power in politics, and Cruz’s donors have a moral obligation to use it for good.”
However, the groups’ volunteers may have their work cut out for them.
Some of Cruz’s GOP constituents have soured on him since the failed coup attempt, but a recent Morning Consult poll shows he still enjoys strong support from his base. Among Texas Republicans, the senator’s approval rating has only dropped from 81% to 76% in the wake of January 6.
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This article appears in Feb 10-23, 2021.
