Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz share the podium in July 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
Former Florida Governor and ex-First Brother Jeb Bush announced his plans to start a fundraising committee next month, and immediately some big names in GOP money such as Florida developer Mel Sembler got behind him. Bush has recently proven his ability to raise big bucks, but some of Bushs likely competitors for the 2016 GOP nomination already have a head start. Three of them Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) have the advantage of a national podium in the Senate and plenty of places to start stashing away cash.
All three of the senators most likely to join Bush in the 2016 Republican primaries have been hard at work raising money and spending it while Bush has been sorting out whether to run. Theyve built up large reservoirs of cash in their campaign committees and simultaneously used their leadership PACs the type of committee Bush says he will form to raise and spend big sums.
When it comes to all-around fundraising, Paul has the clear advantage of the trio. His campaign committee has raised $5.5 million this cycle the most of any senator who was not up for election in 2014, and more than some senators who were. Pauls leadership PAC, Reinventing A New Direction PAC, has raised $3.6 million this cycle.
Rubios campaign committee has been notably less successful when it comes to fundraising, bringing in just $2.9 million. But his leadership PAC Reclaim America PAC pulled in $3.8 million. Cruzs campaign committee has raised $3.7 million, but his leadership PAC, the Jobs, Growth and Freedom Fund, took in only $2 million.
Just as important as fundraising however, may be how the committees have spent the money. While Bush has a strong fundraising record, these three senators have been criss-crossing the country, using the funds they already have to drum up support, make fundraising pitches and line up new friends who can be helpful down the road.
The senators leadership PACs all spent down their funds nearly to zero. In fact, Rubios and Pauls spent more than they raised this cycle,relying on money in the bank from previous cycles. Rubios leadership PAC had just $15,000 left as of Nov. 24, while Pauls had $290,000. Cruzs leadership PAC spent $1.9 million, and was left with just $138,000.
The expenditures of the PACs may say something about the kinds of campaigns the senators would run in 2016.
The biggest vendor of Pauls leadership PAC, for example, was Strategic Fundraising Inc., a firm that specializes in telefundraising for conservatives. The PAC has paid the firm$635,000 in the 2014 cycle. Close behind is Saber Communications, which is run by political operative Mike Rothfeld, a board member of the National Association for Gun Rights who is known for his email and mass-mail fundraising prowess and his cutthroat political sensibility.Saber Communications has made $560,000 from the leadership PAC in this cycle. The fundraising firms, which cast a wide net for donations, combined to account for more than one-third of RAND PACs spending this cycle, suggesting a strong emphasis on not just fundraising, but grassroots fundraising.
Rubios leadership PAC has spent most heavily with Something Else Strategies, a firm formed by three of his top aides, including John McCain and George W. Bushs top strategists in South Carolina in 2000. Close behind is Targeted Victory a consulting firm closely aligned with Carl Forti, a close ally of Karl Rove.Rubio, it would appear, is the senator among these three whose political spending suggests a campaign that would most overlap with the Bush brand. Maybe thats why the leadership PAC has spent so much on what appears to be brand-building advertising, promotional materials (including more than $47,000 on PAC-themed water bottles) and surveys.
While Paul may have a strong brand and Rubio may already be an acknowledged fundraiser, Cruzs leadership PAC spending suggests his camp is worried about shoring up both brand and fundraising. The top recipient of Cruzs leadership PAC spending is CampaignHQ, an Iowa firm that has done fundraising phone calls for Cruz. The firm has been paid $156,000 by Cruzs PAC. But not far behind is survey firm Wilson Perkins Allen, with $145,000.
All three men have clearly been zooming around the country ranging far from their home states with their leadership PACs picking up the expenses.
RAND PAChas spent more than $123,000 on airline flights and an additional $130,000 on charter jets. Pauls PAC also listed expenses to Caesars Palace in July of this year, and stays at the Breakers Hotel, an upscale Palm Beach resort in March of both 2013 and 2014. The PAC also paid for stays at the Cloisters at Sea Island, a five-star resort in Georgia, and a pricey hotel in Guatemala where Paul, an optometrist, was doing highly-publicized free surgeries. Not all of the travel was for Paul, however. Many of the expenses are reimbursements to aides, like former Iowa GOP chairman A.J. Spiker.
Rubios PAC has spent less on travel, but still has some notable travel expenses. While he wasnt among the potential candidates rumored to have attended the Sheldon Primary in March at the Las Vegas casino owned by billionaire Sheldon Adelson the biggest individual donor in the 2012 election Rubios leadership PAC has paid for what appear to be two trips earlier this year to the Venetian.
Cruzs PAC spent $64,000 on airlines and another $36,000 on private charters, and for what appear to be fancy getaway resorts, likely fundraising events. Like Pauls, Cruzs leadership PAC picked up a weekend at the Breakers Resort in Florida the same weekend as in Pauls case. His PAC also paid for another stay at the resort in late 2013. There were also several trips to Jackson, Wyoming; on a June 23 trip, the PAC paid for both black car service and $72 for something at Teton Mountain resort. Cruzs PAC also notably paid for stays at the Attitash Grand Mountain Resort in New Hampshire.
Their leadership PACs were also used by all three men to spread some of their fundraising takes around to those who might be useful in a 2016 presidential bid.
All three donated to the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, while Pauls and Rubios PACs both supported the Republican Party of Iowa. Cruzs PAC made gifts to the GOP in South Carolina, another crucial early-primary state.
All three leadership PACs also made large donations to the campaign of newly-elected Iowa senator Joni Ernst, as well as to Scott Brown, who was narrowly defeated in his bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire.
And just in case theres any lingering doubt about what these senators and their PACs were up to, a couple of their other expenses might help settle things: All three made independent expenditures uncoordinated ad buys that explicitly advocate for or against a candidate in support of Ernst in Iowa. Paul and Cruzs leadership PACs also made six-figure buys in support of Brown, in New Hampshire.
Source: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/12/jeb-bushs-rivals-already-running/
