Former President George W. Bush is stepping back into Republican politics to help raise money for a group of GOP Senate candidates fighting to preserve the party’s majority in November, marking a relatively rare campaign appearance for the former president.
Bush appeared as a special guest Monday evening at a Dallas fundraiser hosted by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, benefiting six Republican Senate candidates running in some of the country’s most closely watched races.
The fundraiser benefits Maintain the Majority, a new joint fundraising committee established to support Republican Senate candidates as the party battles to retain control of the chamber.
The committee is supporting Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, all of whom are seeking reelection.
It is also raising money for three Republicans seeking open or Democratic-held seats: Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa, former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan and former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire.
The event highlights the increasing focus on Senate fundraising with Election Day approaching and both parties directing money toward a relatively small number of competitive races.
Republicans currently hold the Senate majority, but contests across the country have created an expensive fight over control of the chamber.
Among the races drawing significant attention are Maine, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa, Alaska, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia.
CBS News recently identified a dozen races as potentially significant in determining control of the Senate.
Cornyn has been particularly vocal about directing Republican resources toward races where he believes the money could have the greatest impact.
The Texas senator, a former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, recently warned that Republicans face difficult decisions about how to distribute their resources during the final weeks of the campaign.
“Pouring another $100 million in Texas jeopardizes other races, and I think the most important thing in the end is that Republicans maintain the majority in the Senate,” Cornyn told Semafor.
One notable Republican was absent from Monday’s fundraising effort: Texas GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton.
Paxton, who was endorsed by President Trump, defeated Cornyn earlier this year following an expensive and contentious Republican primary. Although Cornyn subsequently said he would support the Republican ticket in November, Paxton was not included among the candidates benefiting from the Maintain the Majority fundraiser.
The omission is particularly notable because the Texas Senate contest has emerged as a major destination for Republican spending.
Paxton is running against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Trump-affiliated organizations and Republican Senate groups have committed tens of millions of dollars to advertising in the state, while Cornyn has publicly questioned whether that money might be more effective elsewhere.
Cornyn and Paxton fought one of the most expensive Republican Senate primaries in the country before Paxton secured the nomination.
Former President George W. Bush to help raise money for multiple candidates in key Senate races Per NYT
Candidates Bush is helping:
🔴 Susan Collins (ME)
🔴 John Sununu (NH)
🔴 Jon Husted (OH)
🔴 Dan Sullivan (AK)
🔴 Ashley Hinson (IA)
🔴 Mike Rogers (MI) pic.twitter.com/S6DzfoqYxk— OSZ (@OpenSourceZone) September 22, 2026
Bush also had financial ties to Cornyn during the primary.
Federal campaign records previously showed the former president contributed $5,000 to Cornyn’s campaign.
The Texas Tribune reported that it was Bush’s first contribution to a federal candidate in Texas since the 2022 election cycle.
Bush has largely avoided day-to-day partisan politics since leaving the White House in January 2009, making his involvement in Monday’s event particularly noteworthy.
His appearance also underscored his longstanding relationship with Cornyn. Both men rose through Texas politics during the same period. Bush served as governor from 1995 until becoming president in 2001, while Cornyn served as Texas attorney general before winning election to the U.S. Senate in 2002.
The Dallas fundraiser also drew prominent figures from the Republican establishment. According to reporting on the event, participants and invitees included former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican donor Harlan Crow and Harriet Miers, who served as White House counsel under Bush and was briefly nominated by him to the Supreme Court.
Two other Republican Senate candidates facing significant contests — Michael Whatley in North Carolina and Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia — were also not included in the fundraising committee.
Republican leaders have acknowledged difficult strategic decisions are approaching as they determine where to concentrate resources.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
