O’Rourke’s campaign for Texas governor outraises Abbott

By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrat Beto O’Rourke has raised nearly $32 million in his bid for Texas governor during the first half of 2022. That’s more than Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and a haul that puts their race on track to smash spending records in November’s midterm elections. The new figures released Friday put the two-term governor in the rare position of finding himself outraised, although his campaign has raised more than $30 million since the beginning of the year. The narrowing gap underlines O’Rourke’s durability as a fundraising powerhouse and how money is pouring into high-profile governor’s races even as inflation and President Joe Biden’s sagging approval creates strong headwinds for Democrats with voters.