Cruz and Scott, both McConnell critics, get cold shoulder amid tough races

The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a big-dollar fundraising group affiliated with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), isn’t helping two of McConnell’s biggest critics in the Senate GOP conference — Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rick Scott (Fla.).

This has prompted grumbling from conservatives who say McConnell has too much power over Senate Republican fundraising and point out that Cruz, in particular, a longtime McConnell critic, will be heavily outspent by his Democratic opponent, Texas Rep. Colin Allred, and his allies.

Some Republican strategists are also questioning whether the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is run by Chair Steve Daines (Mont.), a member of McConnell’s leadership team, is doing enough to protect incumbents like Cruz and Scott.