Fresh off their visits to New Hampshire over the weekend, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush are hitting the road to raise money this week.
Rubio is in the Lone Star State over the next two days, including a fundraiser tomorrow night in Dallas hosted by George Seay, a well-connected grandson of former Texas Gov. William Clements and who served as Rick Perry’s finance chairman in 2012. Rubio will fundraise in Houston today.
It’s an aggressive start for the Florida senator, who officially entered the race a week ago in a high-profile speech in Miami’s Freedom Tower. Reuters reported over the weekend that Rubio has already received $40 million in financial commitments.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush is in Seattle today for two fundraisers for his political action committee, Right to Rise. Because he is not a declared candidate for president, Bush can personally ask for huge, unlimited donations for Right to Rise, his Super PAC. That’s become increasingly controversial as a tactic for the former Florida governor, as it appears from all vantage points that he’s a full-fledged candidate for president. But until he declares (and only Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have officially so far), Bush can continue to raise these unlimited contributions.
Right to Rise is having a “Roundtable” discussion for $12,500 a pop, or $25,000 a couple. He then will appear at a reception in nearby Medina, Wash., for an event priced at $1,250 or $2,500 per couple.
