Paul Ryan raised $5 million during Texas swing

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan raised big money – $5 million – for House Republicans during a recent barnstorm of Texas. 

Most of that sum will be directed toward the 2018 midterms, where Republicans will defend their majorities in both chambers.

The Texas money raised went to three entities of Ryan's political arm: his personal re-election campaign, his leadership political action committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Ryan frequently travels to the state to raise money, but the $5 million figure raised last month marks an escalation. In early 2016, he raised $3.4 million during a similar swing.

Ryan typically deploys those funds largely to support vulnerable members of his caucus. He did just that in February, transferring about $4.5 million to the NRCC, which spends millions on television advertising. 

Ryan toured the state during the Congressional President's Day recess, attending nine events and eight meetings in five cities, including Corpus Christie, El Paso, Houston, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The trip also included a tour of the Texas-Mexican border.

Over the course of his travels, he met with most of Texas House GOP delegation.