What They’re Saying: DSCC Expands Funding For Republican Accountability Staff to Texas and Florida

New reporting details the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s announcement of expanded on-the-ground Republican accountability programs to include funding for communications and research staff in two offensive states: Texas and Florida. 

Here’s what they’re saying: 

NBC News: Senate Democrats’ campaign arm ups investments in two targets
By Bridget Bowman
October 25, 2023 

• Senate Democrats’ campaign arm is expanding its investments in staff to include Florida and Texas, two states where Republicans are on defense next year. 

• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is investing “seven figures” in its “Republican accountability programs” to support staffers on the ground across 10 battleground states, according to an announcement shared first with NBC News.

• …a DSCC aide said the investment announced Monday is the largest the committee has made at this point in an election cycle. 

• The DSCC’s investment in Texas and Florida, where GOP Sens. Ted Cruz and Rick Scott are running for re-election, is a sign that the party is looking to go on offense. 

• “Senators Cruz and Scott’s deep unpopularity is driven by their unique vulnerabilities, their self-serving politics and their toxic policy agendas — all of which make Texas and Florida prime offensive opportunities for Senate Democrats,” DSCC executive director Christie Roberts said in a statement. 

• The committee is also investing in research and communication staffers focused on defining Republican candidates in eight other battlegrounds that Democrats are defending, including Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin. 

• “Across the battlegrounds, the DSCC is making early investments to ensure voters know the truth about Republicans’ flawed candidates, and how their dangerous views and policies disqualify them from serving in the Senate,” Roberts said.

The Hill: Senate Dems increasing investment in Texas, Florida
By Jared Gans
October 25, 2023

• The campaign arm for Senate Democrats is increasing its investments in two states where it will look to go on offense in 2024: Texas and Florida. 

• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) said in a release on Wednesday that it will step up funding for communications and research staff in the states. The expansion, which was first reported by NBC News, will bring the DSCC’s investment in its “Republican accountability” program to 10 states. 

• The program is now investing “seven figures” in the states, which also include Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin. All of those eight states are ones with a Democratic incumbent up for reelection. 

• The investment comes as Democrats will try to unseat GOP Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rick Scott (Fla.), both of whom are up for reelection in 2024. The map of Senate seats up for election next year provides Republicans with more pickup opportunities than Democrats, but these two seats provide arguably the best chances for Democrats to pick up seats. 

• “Senators Cruz and Scott’s deep unpopularity is driven by their unique vulnerabilities, their self-serving politics and their toxic policy agendas — all of which make Texas and Florida prime offensive opportunities for Senate Democrats,” said DSCC Executive Director Christie Roberts.
  
  
• The release states that staffers for the program use a range of tactics to highlight Republicans’ records, actions, votes and statements and argue that they disqualify them from serving in office. 

• A DSCC aide told NBC that the investment is the largest that it has made at this point of the election cycle.

National Journal: Hotline Latest Edition: DSCC steps up game in Florida and Texas
By Sydney Kashiwagi
October 25, 2023

• The DSCC will expand its investments in staffing in Florida and Texas—Democrats’ best pickup opportunities, focusing on Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX). 
  
  
• SHOW ME THE MONEY. Seven figures will be spent on its “Republican accountability programs” that will support staffers on the ground in 10 battleground states. The DSCC says the investment is the largest the committee has made at this point in the election cycle.
  
  
• DSCC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTIE ROBERTS SAYS: “Senators Cruz and Scott’s deep unpopularity is driven by their unique vulnerabilities, their self-serving politics and their toxic policy agendas—all of which make Texas and Florida prime offensive opportunities for Senate Democrats.”
  
  
• IN BATTLEGROUND STATES. The committee will also invest in research and communication staffers who will focus on “defining Republican candidates” in the battleground states Democrats are defending: Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. (NBC News)

POLITICO: Playbook PM
By Bethany Irvine
October 25, 2023

• MONEY, MONEY, MONEY — “Senate Democrats’ campaign arm ups investments in two targets,” by NBC News’ Bridget Bowman: “The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is investing ‘seven figures’ in its ‘Republican accountability programs’ to support staffers on the ground across 10 battleground states.
  
  
• The DSCC’s investment in Texas and Florida, where GOP Sens. TED CRUZ and RICK SCOTT are running for re-election, is a sign that the party is looking to go on offense even [as it] defends its slim majority next year.”

MSNBC: Wednesday’s Campaign Round-Up, 10.25.23
By Steve Benen
October 25, 2023

• The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is making seven-figure investments in Florida and Texas, suggesting the party believes incumbent Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Rick Scott are vulnerable ahead of their 2024 re-election bids.
  
  
• NBC News’ report on this added, “The committee typically makes these investments in state parties to bolster staff during an election cycle, but a DSCC aide said the investment announced Monday is the largest the committee has made at this point in an election cycle.”

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