Democrat Colin Allred outraises Republican Ted Cruz this year ahead of US Senate primaries

AUSTIN — Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Colin Allred has outraised two-term Republican Ted Cruz since entering the race in April and heads into the final months of 2023 with $2.1 million more than the incumbent has in the bank, the latest campaign finance records show.

The haul by Allred, a three-term congressman from Dallas, also far exceeded that of state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio, who is also vying for the U.S. Senate nomination in the March 5 Democratic primary. Gutierrez has collected about $626,000 since joining the race in July.

Allred, who raised $4.7 million in the past three months and $10.6 million so far this year, and Gutierrez are considered the leading candidates in what is shaping up as a crowded 2024 Democratic field. Campaign finance information for former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez, who is hoping to gain traction after getting a late start, was not available on the Federal Election Commission's website as of Monday afternoon.

Even though they must first face Democratic primary voters, and possibly a runoff, the camps of Allred and Gutierrez were directing their focus on Cruz in statements released with the money-raising totals.

"We cannot afford six more years of Ted Cruz in the Senate,” said Allred campaign manager Paige Hutchinson. “This campaign is about bringing people together, and the remarkable support from grassroots donors across the state is one of the many reasons we are confident we are going to have the resources we need to make Ted Cruz a full time podcaster.”

The reference was to the Republican's podcast, The Verdict, a political discussion that aired its 306th episode on Monday.

Jorge Vasquez, spokesman for Gutierrez, acknowledged that both Allred and Cruz have collected more and said the campaign is going "up against mountains of money."

"But we're proud to have broad support from Texans investing their hard-earned dollars in our campaign to beat Ted Cruz," Vasquez said. "We've been endorsed by over 50 elected officials and community leaders from every corner of Texas, and grassroots donors from all 50 states are contributing to the fight."

Matt Angle, a veteran Texas Democratic operative, said early fundraising success is crucial, especially for candidates still trying to introduce themselves to a voting pool as large as Texas.

"It's not the only metric, but it's the most important metric at this point," Angle said, noting that Allred is off to a commanding advantage. "Democrats, especially Democrats who write checks, they're looking not only for somebody who will scratch their itch in terms of their dislike of Ted Cruz. But they also want somebody who has a realistic chance of winning. And I think that that's what Colin has been able to do."

It remains an open question of whether Gutierrez can counter that narrative, Angle said.

"What we know is that Roland is, however good his story is, he's not raising enough to tell a story," Angle said in a reference to Gutierrez emerging as a champion for the victim of last year's school shooting in Uvalde, which he represents in Austin.

"And that's really what you got to do in a primary. You got to have enough resources to tell voters who you are and why they should be for you, so that they at least can make an informed comparison. He's got a ways to go before he is able to do that in any part of the state that he's not known."

Josh Blank, director of research for the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, said whoever wins the right to challenge Cruz in November 2024 can expect to be part of a race that will likely gain national attention. In 2018, Cruz narrowly bested then-Congressman Beto O'Rourke of El Paso in the most expensive race of the cycle where the Democrat raised roughly $80 million and the Republican raked in around $50 million.

"Given that Cruz won re-election last time by the thinnest margin in recent memory, and given Trump's polarizing impact at the top of the ticket, we should expect Democrats to go on offense more this year in Texas than in recent elections," Blank said. "And that is going to cost lots of money."

Cruz has not let up on his fundraising effort since that narrow victory. Beginning in January 2019, through Sept. 30 this year, he has taken in more than $40 million, according to finance reports. That bodes well for his 2024 effort, just as Allred's early prowess looks like a good sign for him, Blank said.

"I fully expect both the Cruz campaign, and whomever he ends up facing to be well-financed," he said. "But Allred is making the argument early that he would be the most resourced candidate among the Democratic nominees."

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, @JohnnieMo.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Who's leading in fundraising in Texas for the 2024 race for US Senate?