AUSTIN, Texas — No Democrat has ever raised more money to run for Texas governor than Beto O'Rourke, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.
O'Rourke reportedly announced Tuesday that he has raised another $25.2 million since July, resulting in a total of over $66 million raised for his campaign against incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
That's a new record for Texas Democrats running for governor. Wendy Davis raised more than $40 million in 2014 against Abbott, and Tony Sanchez spent $76 million in his bid against Rick Perry – though the Houston Chronicle notes that more than $60 million of that came from Sanchez's own pocket.
The Houston Chronicle also notes that O'Rourke's fundraising is still far behind Abbott's. The current governor had reportedly raised $109 million for his re-election just through June.
Although Abbott leads in fundraising, the new development marks the second consecutive period O'Rourke has outraised Abbott, according to The Texas Tribune. Abbott's campaign said the governor raised nearly $25 million in the latest reporting period from July 1 to Sept. 29.
Neither campaign has yet released the latest cash-on-hand figures, but Abbott had nearly a 2-to-1 advantage at the end of June.
The Texas Tribune reports that O'Rourke's latest gains came from nearly half a million contributions, with an average size of $53. All but about 2% of his donations were received online.
Abbott also continues to lead in major public polls. A recent poll conducted by KVUE and the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation found Abbott leading O'Rourke by seven points (51% to 44%) among likely voters. Among most likely (almost certain) voters, the lead grows to 10 points (53% to 43%).
The Houston Chronicle reports that, as of Oct. 11, O'Rourke still hasn't raised as much as he did in his 2018 U.S. Senate bid against Ted Cruz, when he received $79 million in donations.
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