AUSTIN, Texas — Sen. Ted Cruz is using an unusual tactic to get voters to read his fundraising solicitations. It comes as the incumbent is locked in a competitive race with Democratic challenger Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Cruz’s campaign is mailing out fundraising letters that look like urgent government notices.

One of those letters was addressed to Sean Owen’s late grandmother. The Austin resident lives in her old home. He got the letter Saturday. 

“If it hadn’t said maybe Travis County, I might have sort of disregarded it,” Owen said.  

On the envelope, the large letters state: “summons enclosed.” In the top left corner, it says, “Official Travis County Summons.” It also says “Ted Cruz for Senate 2018.”

Owens quickly realized the letter is seeking campaign contributions. 

 

 

 

“You’re used to seeing junk mail marked final notice, but suggesting it’s from the county, seemed new - maybe a over a line,” Owen said. “It was addressed to my grandmother who faced some cognitive decline and I thought, ‘If she’d seen this, would she have been fooled? Would she have thought it was from the county?’ That makes you a bit mad.” 

Joshua Blank, the manager of polling and research at The Texas Politics Project at UT Austin, said the strategy is not new in politics. 

“It’s not really uncommon for campaigns to really figure out what is the way that they can increase the probability, even just a little bit, for someone to open up their mailers,” Blank said. 

The Cruz campaign confirms that it has sent hundreds of thousands of mailers of this kind across the state. This year was also not the first time the campaign has sent these correspondences. In a statement a campaign spokesperson said:

“Out of hundreds of thousands of mailers to the Austin area targeting likely supporters - clearly labeled on the front with "Ted Cruz for Senate" - there were a few complaints that came not to us but to the local media. Our mail efforts have been both effective and critical to identifying and engaging our supporters, and getting them involved in our campaign efforts to keep Texas strong.”

According to the Public Affairs Office for the Federal Election Commission, mass mailings sent by federal candidates must include a “clear and conspicuous disclaimer” indicating who paid for them. Candidates must also include a statement that the campaign is required to use its best efforts to obtain, maintain, and report certain contributor information required by law, as well as a notice that contributions are not tax deductible. 

Cruz’s campaign mailers meet those requirements. 

“Every campaign in a competitive race is going to do everything they can up to the legal limit and maybe sometimes just a little bit over in an effort to win,” Blank said. 

The Cruz campaign said their mailers are not blasted out randomly but go to Republicans and those who have donated to candidate in the past. 

“I understand the tactic, I understand the motivation, but I think it’s a little bit too far, especially if it risks fooling some people who might be among the most vulnerable,” Owen said. “It’s not going to be fool me in the end, but it might fool some people and is that worth it?”