{"id":2258477,"date":"2024-06-03T11:11:11","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T15:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-crisscrosses-country-to-pad-senate-gop-war-chests\/"},"modified":"2024-06-03T11:12:59","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T15:12:59","slug":"thune-crisscrosses-country-to-pad-senate-gop-war-chests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-crisscrosses-country-to-pad-senate-gop-war-chests\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune travels nationwide to boost Senate GOP funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-crisscrosses-country-to-pad-senate-gop-war-chests%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2258477&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator John Thune (R-SD) travels to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-want-their-private-security-looking-over-gop-poll-watchers-shoulders\/\" title=\"Democrats seek to monitor GOP poll watchers with private security.\">key battleground\u2064 states<\/a>, fundraising for Republican candidates vying in critical \u200bSenate races.\u200d Thune&#8217;s strategic \u200defforts aim to bridge fundraising gaps against Democrats, contributing significantly to the National Republican \u2062Senatorial Committee. His campaign swings, including visits \u200cto \u2062various states, play a vital role \u2064in shaping the \u2062future Senate leadership landscape.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) is returning to Washington, D.C., on Monday following a whirlwind trip through two Senate battlegrounds.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, he traveled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nevada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Nevada<\/a> to fundraise for Army veteran Sam Brown, the establishment pick to challenge Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen (NV) in the fall. Thune spent the next two days in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/montana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Montana<\/a> to support Republican businessman Tim Sheehy, who is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3023080\/elections-new-jersey-new-mexico-dc-south-dakota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>expected to advance<\/a> in Tuesday\u2019s GOP primary for Sen. Jon Tester\u2019s (D-MT) seat.<\/p>\n<p>The trip, first reported by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, is part of a conference-wide pivot to the general election with just five months until Nov. 5. Republicans have a favorable Senate map, but Thune and other party leaders are helping bridge a large fundraising gap against the Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a make-or-break moment, really, for the country and an opportunity to get a Republican majority,\u201d Thune, the Senate minority whip, said in a phone interview from Montana. \u201cEverybody\u2019s doing what they can \u2013 it\u2019s a team effort \u2013 and we\u2019re trying to contribute where we can help out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A large part of Thune\u2019s efforts are geared toward the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He\u2019s raised more for the campaign arm than any other senator this cycle besides its chairman, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT).<\/p>\n<p>But Thune\u2019s campaign swing, in particular, serves a secondary purpose. The candidates he is helping, should they be elected in November, will get a say in who succeeds Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as the next GOP leader, and the visits are one way he is distinguishing himself from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), his chief rival in that race.<\/p>\n<p>Thune has traveled to GOP fundraisers supporting Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania, Kari Lake in Arizona, and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) in Indiana, plus an earlier trip he made for Brown in Nevada.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, we\u2019re kind of all over the country and the key battleground states. And of course, whatever the candidates need and are asking for, we\u2019re trying to do whatever we can,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n<p>Looking forward, Thune has travel plans for Ohio, Michigan, and Maryland.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake from Arizona is joined by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) at a joint press conference at Lake\u2019s campaign headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26, 2024. Lake and Thune took turns talking about the difference between Democrats and Republicans on problems such as the border, economy, inflation, and abortion, and the importance of electing a Republican to the Senate in Arizona. (Photo By: Alexandra Buxbaum\/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cornyn, a two-time chairman of the NRSC, has fundraised aggressively since launching his own leader run after McConnell announced he would retire from leadership in February. He\u2019s raised over $18.3 million for Senate Republicans this cycle, including almost $5.6 million in the first quarter alone.<\/p>\n<p>However, Cornyn\u2019s fundraising has largely been confined to his donor-rich state. A source familiar with Cornyn\u2019s political operation told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that he spent the Memorial Day recess \u201ccrisscrossing Texas to help his Republican colleagues and candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thune acknowledged he is taking a \u201csomewhat different\u201d strategy. In addition to Senate challengers, he\u2019s traveled to the home states of his incumbent colleagues to raise money for their reelection bids.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the trips are just one part of Thune\u2019s fundraising. Similar to Cornyn, he has brought in money by working the phones and attending events in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>The two men have even fundraised virtually. Cornyn held a Zoom event for Wisconsin Republican Eric Hovde\u2019s Senate campaign in May, according to a source familiar with the fundraiser, following a speech Thune gave remotely for Hovde in March.<\/p>\n<p>All told, Thune has raised $13.1 million for Senate Republicans this cycle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just think that however it gets done, we\u2019re all contributing in whatever way we can,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Sen. John Thune (R-SD) talks after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo\/Mariam Zuhaib)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Republican candidates do not need to match Democrats dollar for dollar, Thune said, to stay competitive, in part because of the outside spending leadership will deploy to their races. But the party is facing Democratic senators who, aided by the advantage of incumbency, are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/news\/2024\/04\/senate-democrats-dominate-in-first-quarter-fundraising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>heavily outraising<\/a> their Republican counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>Tester raised almost $33 million to Sheehy\u2019s $8 million through the first quarter in Montana, according to OpenSecrets, while Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) raised $39 million to Republican businessman Bernie Moreno\u2019s $11 million in Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are expected to pick up a seat in West Virginia, barring a surprise run by newly independent Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), meaning they must net one more to guarantee a Senate majority.<\/p>\n<p>The two states Thune visited over the weekend, Nevada and Montana, are viewed as among Republicans\u2019 best shots alongside Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the end, you don\u2019t have to keep up with the other side, but you have to have enough to get your message out,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n<p>For now, Thune\u2019s campaign swings have largely been limited to raising cash, but Thune has received requests to attend rallies and other campaign-style events as Election Day draws closer.<\/p>\n<p>In April, he held one of his first with Lake, joining her for a press conference in which he urged Arizonans to \u201cwork very aggressively\u201d to help elect her to the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always tell people, I\u2019ll come out for you or against you, whichever helps you the most,\u201d Thune quipped in a nod to his establishment reputation in Washington. He has served in leadership for well over a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Thune acknowledged he\u2019s spoken with the Senate hopefuls about the leader race, typically held in the days after the November election, and expressed optimism in his chances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a small electorate,\u201d Thune said of his conference, \u201cand your colleagues are going to make that decision, and you just have to do everything you can to earn their support and kind of make clear how you would, if successful, lead the Senate, lead the conference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd so, we\u2019ve been making that case, making those arguments, and I feel really good about the response that we\u2019ve had,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Thune declined to share what sort of commitments he\u2019s received, though two senators have come forward to support him publicly: Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), his home state senator, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).<\/p>\n<p>Virtually the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3016033\/senate-conservatives-gop-leader-race-rick-scott\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>rest of the conference<\/a> has kept their preference private.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody\u2019s talking about numbers at this point,\u201d Thune said. \u201cI think it\u2019s early on. We\u2019ve still got five months of clock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A strong showing by Republicans in November could shape the leader race in unpredictable ways. Daines, the NRSC chairman, has been floated as a possible <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/opinion-desantis-derangement-syndrome-is-spreading\/\" title=\"OPINION: \u2018DeSantis Derangement Syndrome\u2019 Is Spreading\">dark horse candidate<\/a> if the conference expands its ranks substantially.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott\u2019s (R-FL) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3014024\/rick-scott-second-run-replace-mcconnell-gop-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>entrance<\/a> two weeks ago has made it more likely the secret ballot will go to a second or third round. He is seen as the natural candidate for Senate conservatives but lost his leader run against McConnell in 2022 in a 37-10 vote.<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, fundraising will be one factor that influences the outcome of the race. McConnell built a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/it-doesnt-matter-how-strong-texas-election-laws-are-until-someone-enforces-them\/\" title=\"Enforcing Texas' election laws is crucial for their effectiveness.\">formidable political machine<\/a> in his 16 years leading the conference, and his replacement will be expected to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>But Thune, whose role as Republican whip is widely perceived as an advantage, cast doubt that money will prove decisive. He has spent almost six years building rapport with his colleagues as McConnell\u2019s chief vote-counter on the Senate floor, succeeding Cornyn in the position in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a piece of it,\u201d Thune said of the fundraising. \u201cI\u2019m not understating it, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the only metric by which people are going to make a decision on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the end, it\u2019s a lot about relationships, and it\u2019s about what people are looking at in terms of the vision they have for the conference and who they think can be the strongest and best leader,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>As for the outcome of the election, Thune struck a cautious note, predicting that Senate margins would depend heavily on the political climate in a few months. But he believes candidate recruitment this cycle has given Republicans their best chance to win.<\/p>\n<p>Thune doubts Manchin will make a late play for his West Virginia Senate seat. He announced his retirement in November but fueled fresh speculation he could challenge Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) in the race by registering as an independent on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d be really surprised if that happened,\u201d Thune said, joking that he wished Manchin had heeded Republicans\u2019 pleas to leave the Democratic Party years ago. \u201cI think we\u2019re really well-positioned in West Virginia, and I think he knows that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From there, Thune calls the Senate map a \u201ctarget-rich environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ohio and Montana are two solidly red seats held by Democrats, while Lake\u2019s race lacks an incumbent, he noted, after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) decided to retire.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest wild cards is former President Donald Trump\u2019s conviction. On Thursday, a Manhattan jury found him guilty of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election, posing the risk that independents abandon Republicans down-ballot with a felon at the top of the ticket.<\/p>\n<p>However, Thune predicted the verdict would not hurt the GOP\u2019s chances, citing his conversations with Republicans on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was a very clearly politically motivated case. I think voters around the country get that, and I think the outcome of the case was pretty baked in,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think, if nothing else, there\u2019s even a higher level of intensity now about wanting to win this election,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator John Thune (R-SD) wraps up a rapid tour through Senate battlegrounds. After fundraising in Nevada for Army veteran Sam Brown against Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, he headed to Montana for further support. Thune&#8217;s journey concludes as he returns to Washington, D.C., on Monday, marking a strategic campaign effort across key states<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2258478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24117840030167-1.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2258477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24117840030167-1.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2258477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2258478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2258477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2258477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2258477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}