Beto O'Rourke out-raises Greg Abbott in campaign contributions over the last 4 months
Democratic gubernatorial challenger Beto O'Rourke raised $27.3 million from Feb. 20 to June 30, while Republican Gov. Greg Abbott raised almost $25 million during the same period, according to Friday press releases from both of the campaigns.
Abbott, who has held a commanding lead in cash on hand during the race, touts $46 million in his campaign coffers. The O'Rourke campaign has not yet released how much cash on hand it has.
"As we move into the heat of the summer campaign, we’re well positioned to fund all our campaign efforts,” Texans for Greg Abbott Campaign Chairman Gardner Pate said in the Friday release.
More:Greg Abbott campaign promises 'knock-out, drag-out fight' in race against Beto O'Rourke
The O'Rourke campaign said nearly all of the more than 511,000 contributions to the campaign, at an average of $54, came from online donors and that teachers contributed more than people from any other occupation. Abbott's campaign said it received nearly 113,000 contributions and that 86% of the campaign contributions came from within Texas.
“I’m grateful for everyone who helped us raise $27.63 million in just over four months as we support the powerful work of our organizers and more than 78,000 volunteers,” O'Rourke said in the release.
Dave Carney, Abbott's chief political strategist, said Wednesday that he expected O'Rourke to have strong fundraising numbers. Carney also said that while O'Rourke focuses on abortion rights and restricting assault-style weapons, Abbott would continue to emphasize economic issues, including the high inflation rate.
Polling data suggests a large percentage of voters might agree with O'Rourke on increasing abortion access and gun reform. According to June polls from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, 4 in 5 respondents support background checks on all gun purchases, and just 15% support an abortion ban. Abbott signed into law last year an abortion ban — excepting cases when the life of a pregnant patient is in danger — that takes effect later this summer.
A Texas Politics Project July poll indicates the race for Texas governor is tightening. Nearly half (45%) of the 1,200 Texas voters who participated in the poll indicated support for Abbott while 39% showed support for O'Rourke. In April, Abbott had been ahead of O'Rourke by 11 points.
In 2021, the Abbott campaign had out-raised the O'Rourke campaign since the start of their respective campaigns. O'Rourke at that time had raised $7.2 million while Abbott raised nearly $19 million in the last six months of 2021, according to January campaign finance reports. The Abbott campaign said it has raised nearly $68 million since the campaign's start in June 2021.
More:Governor's race tightens as Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke shrinks to 6 points, poll finds
The Abbott campaign is eyeing aggressive advertising strategies ahead of the November election. In late June, it announced an $8.15 million digital media advertising buy, $8.8 million for TV and radio ads, and $2.75 million for Spanish media ads across platforms.
Stressing a different approach, the O'Rourke campaign embarks Tuesday on a 49-day campaign tour through Texas that will involve driving more than 5,600 miles. The tour, which starts in O'Rourke's hometown of El Paso has scheduled 70 public events in 65 counties, including in many areas that historically have preferred Republican candidates.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Beto O'Rourke out-raises Greg Abbott in campaign contributions
