Gov. Greg Abbott raised more than $20 million from July through the end of September, surpassing Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa’s $13 million — and also far outspending in what turned out to be the Republican incumbent’s most competitive election yet.
Abbott finished the reporting period with $18.2 million in his war chest, eclipsing Hinojosa’s $4 million. But the cash flow disparity is much narrower than it was earlier this year, when the governor disclosed the staggering $105.7 million Hinojosa has on hand, or less than $1 million.
Since the start of the year, Abbott has spent a whopping $141.3 million, including $74.1 million in the most recent reporting period, which ran from July 1 to September 24. Despite spending only about a sixth of that amount – $12.1 million – over a 12-week period, Hinojosa has maintained a steady position in public polls, trailing Abbott by five points or less in most surveys.
Three polls from the past month put the Austin Democrat in the lead — an unprecedented sight for Texas Democrats. Several election forecasters have also moved the race to Hinojosa in recent weeks.
“Even though she is outscored by Abbott 10 to 1, Hinojosa is ahead with the key precincts needed to win, and her momentum is only building,” Hinojosa’s campaign said in a press release Monday. “Texans are ready for change and on November 3, they will send Hinojosa to the governor’s mansion.”
Abbott’s campaign has projected confidence, with the governor’s top strategist dismissing a recent poll in which Hinojosa led by 3 points as “fake” and “garbage.” Abbott himself said recently that his internal polling painted a different picture.
“As we enter the home stretch of the campaign, Governor Abbott continues to receive strong support from Texans who want a safer, stronger and more affordable Texas,” Kim Snyder, Abbott’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “With less than a month until Election Day, Governor Abbott has the resources he needs to win and support Republican candidates down the ballot. »
Hinojosa’s fundraising accelerated significantly in the final weeks of September, particularly after the release of a public poll on September 17 showing her leading Abbott for the first time this cycle. His campaign found that 74% of people who donated to his campaign were first-time donors.
The mid-September poll marked the first public survey — excluding “internal polls” commissioned by campaigns or political groups — to show that Abbott was behind in any of his four gubernatorial campaigns, according to RealClearPolling.
The unusually competitive gubernatorial race comes as Republicans across the country face political headwinds brought on by President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings. Abbott is also grappling with voter backlash toward data centers and property taxes, issues that have caused heartburn in the long-ruling Texas GOP, and a top-down Senate race where Democrat James Talarico narrowly edged out Republican Ken Paxton.
In the race for lieutenant governor, Republican incumbent Dan Patrick raised $6.3 million, compared to $1.2 million for Democrat Vikki Goodwin. He finished the period with $24.4 million, up from $643,000, even after spending nearly 26 times as much as the Democratic lawmaker.
Republicans in other statewide elections have also reported financial advantages over their Democratic opponents, including in elections for attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner.
Unpacking the Governors’ Donors
Abbott’s biggest donations since July 1 included $1 million each from Pennsylvania school voucher advocate Jeff Yass, Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, Dallas billionaire Kenneth Fisher and Florida businessman Jack Dwyer. Amarillo businessman and GOP megadonor Alex Fairly gave $1.5 million through his company, DealOn LLC, and his political group, the Texas Republican Leadership Fund.
The governor also received six-figure donations from several familiar faces. Javaid Anwar, director of Midland Oil, contributed $750,000; Corpus Christi billionaire Robert Rowling donated $500,000, as did Texas Tech Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell. And far-right West Texas megadonor Tim Dunn gave Abbott $100,000 through his group, Texans United for a Liberal Majority.
The vast majority of Hinojosa’s loot came from small donors. Her campaign revealed that she received more than 248,000 contributions from more than 136,000 unique donors, with an average contribution of $53.37.
Hinojosa, former Austin ISD board president, received her largest donation from the American Federation of Teachers, which gave $250,000.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a highly anticipated 2028 presidential candidate, also contributed $200,000, as did Susan Sarofim, a Houston businesswoman and widow of billionaire investment manager Fisent Sarofim. Other notable contributions included $100,000 from the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, $100,000 from Democratic megadonor Karla Jurvetson and $25,000 from a group associated with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear — another potential 2028 candidate and head of the Democratic Governors Association.
Welcoming the small donations, Hinojosa said in a statement that she was leading a “citizen campaign.”
“From now until Election Day,” she said, “I will continue to fight for a Texas that puts working people above billionaires, because every Texan deserves the opportunity to achieve the American dream.” »
Disclosure: Javaid Anwar has been a major financial supporter of the Texas Tribune. Airbnb, Cody and Tara Campbell have provided financial support over the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that is funded in part by donations from its members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial support plays no role in our journalism. Find a full list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.
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