In this file photo, Donald Trump Jr., center, is escorted off the tarmac in September 2016 at East Texas Regional Airport by the Kilgore College Rangerettes. (Les Hassell/Longview News Journal File Photo)

Guests arriving to give Donald Trump Jr. money for his father’s campaign were eager to give the Son of The Donald a red-state welcome when he touched down Tuesday at East Texas Regional Airport.

“I think we’re looking for Trump to see that we do support him in East Texas, that we do support what he has to say,” said Longview small business owner Alicia Nolte, arriving with daughter, Ella, and husband, Mike, at the KRS hangars where owner Kim Smith was hosting the younger Trump.

Ella, 12, said she wasn’t sure what to expect other than “something good” from the Republican nominee’s son. She also said her peers are more politically aware than they might let on.

“They’re kind of political like me,” she said. “Sometimes we argue about it. It’s for the future, because our age are depending on the safety of our country.”

Bill Sudderth, whose oil and gas business is in downtown Tyler, joked on his way in that Trump Jr. might have picked the wrong time to hit the oil patch with his hand out.

“Ain’t nobody got any money,” the Mineola-area resident said. “This is oil and gas country. Everybody has half of what they had.”

With fewer than 60 days to the election, the national campaign stop was the good stuff for East Texas, Texas Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin of Tyler agreed, slowing to chat as he checked in on Skyway Drive.

RELATED: Check out a gallery of photos from the stop

“May we have 60 more days of good stuff,” Austin said.

Trump Jr. declined to include a press session at the fundraiser. Tickets to the informal meet-and-greet ranged from $1,000 to $100,000.

About 50 of the 117-name guest list had arrived by 5 p.m. as advised for the 5:30 p.m. event.

Walking from his hangar next door to KRS, Ruben Martin indicated it was good to get some love from a presidential campaign.

“He’s here in Texas,” Martin said, predicting a successful fundraiser. “I don’t doubt it. That’s what I’m hearing.”

Moments earlier, he would have heard Rusk County Republican Chairman Charlie Williamson reporting the hastily assembled soiree had drawn almost $500,000 in about a week of fundraising commitments.

“They have donors that came from Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Midland and Shreveport,” Williamson said. “I think they’re coming because they want to support Donald J. Trump’s campaign for the presidency. They certainly seem to be an energized group that will take the information they learn at this event this evening back to their communities.”

He acknowledged Texas Republicans had been staunch supporters of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the next-to-last man standing when the Republican primary field of 17 narrowed to two.

“While we understand Senator Cruz is from our state, and he certainly ran a good campaign, as Republicans it’s time for us to get behind our nominee,” Williamson said.

Former GOP state Rep. and Texas Agriculture Commissioner candidate Tommy Merritt of Longview said much the same, though in his own version of Trump-ese, as he stopped before driving into the cordoned area.

“We’re just here to support the Trump campaign and take back America and make America great again — including Texas,” said Merritt, whose daughter, Missy Merritt, coordinated much of the event from the Gregg County end.