New tonight: The Club for Growth, the national conservative group, is set to spend at least $2.5 million for U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, this fall as he faces a serious reelection threat from Democrat Wendy Davis.
The group has reserved that much in TV time to help Roy, a Club spokesperson confirms. The spokesperson, Joe Kildea, says the $2.5 million includes $300,000 reserved this week — and more is coming.
"We are all in," Kildea says.
Davis, the former gubernatorial nominee and state senator, has proven to be a formidable fundraiser and ended the second quarter with a big cash-on-hand advantage, $2.9 million to Roy's $1.7 million. On Thursday morning, a top election forecaster changed its rating of the race from "Leans Republican" to "Toss-up," and Davis' campaign released an internal poll showing a dead heat.
Ad-tracking sources say they tracked today that the Club reserved nearly $2.5 million on broadcast in Austin and San Antonio, the two main markets in Roy's district. The reservations run Sept. 9 through Election Day.
The Club, which endorsed Roy for reelection at the start of the cycle, was crucial to his 2018 election, when he made it out of an 18-way primary — and subsequent runoff — to a general election where he won by 3 percentage points. The group's president, David McIntosh, said late last month the Club would spend over $1 million to get Roy reelected.
The district is now among seven that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is working to flip this fall in Texas. Davis is one of five candidates across those districts that the DCCC has named to its Red to Blue program for top challengers.
— Patrick Svitek
For more up-to-the-minute campaign news, subscribe to The Blast.