Beto O’Rourke outraises Abbott in Texas governor race (again). Here’s how much each got
Democratic candidate for Governor Beto O’Rourke raised more than Republican incumbent Greg Abbott during the latest campaign finance period, with less than a month until Election Day.
The two gubernatorial candidates on Tuesday both announced multi-million dollar earnings between July 1 and Sept. 29. O’Rourke raised $25.18 million, according to his campaign. Abbott raised nearly $25 million, his campaign said. The candidates are in the final stretch of the governor’s race, where recent polls have showed O’Rourke trailing Abbot by single digits.
The latest round of campaign finance reports, which track how much money candidates have brought in and spent, are due on Tuesday to the Texas Ethics Commission. Neither report was posted on the commission’s website as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. Tuesday is also the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election.
O’Rourke’s more than $25 million in donations during the three month period was made up of almost a half a million contributions, according to a news release. The average contribution was $53 dollars.
“We’re receiving support from those in every part of this state who are ready to hold Greg Abbott fully accountable for eight years of failing all of us as he continues to put his extreme agenda over the people of Texas,” O’Rourke said in a statement. “We are going to defeat him and ensure Texas finally leads in great jobs, world class schools, the ability to see a doctor, keeping our kids safe and restoring a woman’s freedom to make her own decisions about her own body.”
Abbott’s nearly $25 million in donations came from almost 45,000 contributors, according to his campaign. The campaign touted that 81% of the total contributions were from within Texas.
Abbott’s campaign criticized O’Rourke for “extreme liberal views” on policies related to policing, the Texas-Mexico border and energy in a news release.
“As we move into the home stretch of the campaign, we’re confident we will have the resources we need to ensure all Texans know Governor Abbott’s strong record on job creation, supporting our police, and securing the border,” Gardner Pate, Texans for Greg Abbott Campaign Chairman, said in a statement.
During the last campaign finance period, O’Rourke reported what his campaign said was a record-breaking fundraising haul, again raising more than Abbott. He brought in $27.6 million in contributions and Abbott received $24.9 million during the period that covered Feb. 20 to June 30. Abbott ended that period with more cash on hand than O’Rourke.
This time around, O’Rourke raised more per day than the daily amount during the roughly four month period earlier this year, according to his campaign.
A Quinnipiac University poll of likely Texas voters taken between Sept. 22-26 put Abbott seven points ahead of O’Rourke.
Early voting starts Oct. 24.
This story was originally published October 11, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
CORRECTION: Tuesday was the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election in Texas. The filing period ran from July 1-Sept. 29. The dates were incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
