Texas Tech leaders face questions over their role in Ken Paxton U.S. Senate race fundraiser - Houston Public Media

The Lubbock County Democratic Party flagged the invitation this week and is now pressing the university system to explain whether Creighton and Campbell used their public positions to help raise money for a partisan campaign. Texas Tech's top leadership rarely draws this kind of political scrutiny, and the system is headquartered in Lubbock, so the question hits close to home.

The Democratic Party wants clarity on whether the university system sanctioned the event or whether Creighton and Campbell acted on their own. Either answer matters. If the system signed off, it raises questions about using taxpayer-funded positions for partisan politics. But if it didn't, that puts pressure on two of Tech's most powerful figures to explain how their titles ended up on a campaign invite.

For people around Lubbock, this isn't just noise out of Austin. Creighton and Campbell help steer decisions that touch students, faculty and the broader Tech system, and their names carry weight tied directly to the university, not just to themselves.