Money will likely be no object for both Texas gubernatorial candidates — Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, and Democratic Party challenger Beto O'Rourke — heading into the November general election.
Each candidate posted massive hauls for the recently completed fundraising quarter, collectively bringing in more than $52 million during that period.
From Feb. 20 to June 30, Gov. Abbott's reelection campaign raised $24.9 million from roughly 113,000 contributions.
And O'Rourke, who lost a close Senate race to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018, pulled down a record sum of $27.6 million from more than 511,000 contributions.
According to the Texas Tribune, O'Rourke's $27.6 million figure is the largest quarterly haul in Texas history, involving candidates running for a statewide office.
O'Rourke's campaign says the average donation is $54; and nearly 99% of the donations were submitted online.
"We're receiving support from people in every part of Texas who want to work together to ensure our state moves beyond Greg Abbott’s extremism and finally leads in great jobs, world class schools, the ability to see a doctor, keeping our kids safe, and protecting a woman's freedom to make her own decisions about her own body, health care and future," said O'Rourke in a statement.
Gardner Pate, Abbott's campaign chair, countered by touting the governor's popularity among Texas residents.
"Texans continue to show their support for Gov. Abbott's campaign by donating to his campaign. As we move into the heat of the summer campaign, we're well positioned to fund all our campaign efforts," said Pate.
According to Abbott's campaign, 86% of the fundraising funds came from Texas residents; and from a cash-on-hand standpoint, the governor's campaign has roughly $46 million.
Abbott has won the last two gubernatorial elections in Texas by an approximate average of 1 million votes; and right now, a poll from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs has Abbott (49%) holding a 5-point lead over O'Rourke (44%), among likely Texas voters.
Also, a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll from earlier this month found Abbott leading O'Rourke by 6 points.
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