The final state campaign filings from last year are in, and they show that the marquee race in Texas in 2022—the likely faceoff between Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke—will be showered in green.
Back on the ballot after a sensational Senate run in 2018 and a dismal foray into presidential politics in 2019, O’Rourke has proven that he is still the strongest fundraiser that Texas Democrats have had in a long time. In the first 45 days of fundraising—between his formal campaign launch in mid-November and the end of the year—O’Rourke raised $7.2 million, according to his campaign finance report.
“No Democratic campaign in the state’s history has raised more money during the opening days of their race,” his campaign said in a press release. No doubt that’s an impressive fundraising pace, well ahead of the formidable clip at which his rival raised funds last year. Still, he’ll have to keep or exceed that pace if he’s going to have a shot at taking down Abbott. For all of O’Rourke’s fundraising abilities, the governor is yet on another level.
