AUSTIN (KXAN) — With four weeks to go until Election Day, new campaign finance figures released by Texas gubernatorial candidates Tuesday show Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke collecting slightly more campaign donations in the latest finance period.
Gov. Greg Abbott fundraised almost $25 million between July 1 and Sept. 29, according to campaign finance details released by his campaign Tuesday. His campaign collected funds from approximately 45,000 contributions, with 81% of them based in Texas, per a campaign 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,” Texans for Greg Abbott said in a statement.
Challenger O’Rourke fundraised nearly $25.2 million between July 1 and Sept. 29. According to O’Rourke’s campaign team, this latest fundraising came from nearly 475,000 donations, with an average donation size of $53.
“We are going to defeat [Abbott] 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,” O’Rourke’s press team said in a release.
This is the second fundraising period where O’Rourke has edged past Abbott in fundraising efforts. O’Rourke raised $27.6 million in the previous fundraising period compared to Abbott’s $24.9 million in contributions, setting a new fundraising record within Texas politics.
Polling from Quinnipiac University on Sept. 28 reported Abbott had a seven-point lead over O’Rourke, with a 53% to 46% split in the Texas gubernatorial race. That polling found 53% of polled independent voters indicated support for Abbott, compared to 46% of independent voters opting for O’Rourke.
Tuesday is the final day for voter registration in Texas. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4, with Election Day on Nov. 8.