Updated: 1:09 p.m. -- Senate Republican leaders signaled today that they would rally behind Christine O'Donnell, the tea party favorite who defeated the establishment's Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., to capture the Senate nomination in Delaware, and said they would fund her campaign.
An aide said Senate Minority Leader McConnell would probably offer the maximum allowable contribution to O'Donnell of $5,000. And National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas said the committee would give O'Donnell the maximum allowable contribution of $42,000.
"I offered her my personal congratulations and let her know that she has our support," Cornyn said in a statement.
Cornyn's announcement aims to counter reports late Tuesday that NRSC would not fund O'Donnell. The NRSC released a terse statement Tuesday on O'Donnell's victory that was issued not by Cornyn but Executive Director Rob Jesmer, drawing speculation that O'Donnell would only get tepid support from the Senate Republicans who had backed Castle.
O'Donnell's victory is the latest in a series of primaries in which the candidate backed by Senate Republicans as more electable in the general election has lost in a GOP primary to a more conservative candidate.
NRSC candidates have lost seven of eight recent primaries, and they endorsed Florida Gov. Charlie Christ before he bolted to run as an independent. In Kentucky, notably, McConnell's favored candidate, Trey Grayson, lost badly to libertarian Rand Paul.
Senate Republicans are working to stay on the right side of that conservative wave by offering rhetorical and financial help to upstart candidates.
McConnell has insisted publicly he has lined up the votes to remain GOP leader in the face of any conservative challenge, but he has been quick to highlight his contributions to candidates he opposed in primaries. He also announced a contribution of $5,000, the maximum allowed, to Joe Miller, who was backed by the tea party and defeated GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski to win the Republican nomination in Alaska.
McConnell and senior Republicans such as Minority Whip Kyl have warned Murkowski, a member of GOP leadership, against a write-in bid, which she says she is considering.
This article appeared in the Saturday, September 18, 2010 edition of National Journal Daily.
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