Beto O’Rourke Has Raised More Than $7.2 Million Since Announcing Run for Texas Governor

Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas Representative who ran one of the closest Senate races in Texas history against (but ultimately losing to) the incumbent Ted Cruz, announced that his campaign has raised more than $7.2 million since he announced his run for governor. All of that money was raised in the month-and-a-half since he decided to run; with more than $2 million raised in the first 24 hours of launching his campaign,

Don't Miss Sarah Jones's Essay On Kristi Noem Titled Predatory Is The Point On The Daily.

O’Rourke’s fundraising haul is a record for a Democratic candidate in Texas.

“I’m grateful to everyone who helped us raise more than $7.2 million in the first weeks of our campaign,” O’Rourke said in a statement. “While Abbott is taking million-dollar checks from the CEOs who profited off of the grid collapse, we’re receiving support from people all over Texas who want to ensure that our state finally leads in great jobs, world class schools and the ability to see a doctor.”

The announcement comes a week after O’Rourke held a campaign event in his hometown of El Paso, during which he criticized Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, for his record on public health and his attitude toward border communities as well as the Texas electrical grid, which infamously went down during a deep freeze last year that claimed the lives of more than 200 Texas residents.

“We have a governor who does not trust Texas. He doesn’t trust border communities,” O’Rourke said. “We are a city of underdogs.”

“We have another underdog team right here, right now… With your help, with this team, we are going to win the race for governor of the state of Texas,” he added, further accusing Abbott of treating communities like El Paso “as a prop to stoke anxiety, fear or even hatred.”

Meanwhile, Abbott’s campaign announced that it has more than $65 million on hand. The campaign raised $19 million between July 1 and December 31.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.