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The Blast - July 16, 2025 [1]
['The Texas Tribune']
Date: 2025-07
“Support from thousands of donors across the state reflect the unwavering trust Texans have in Gov. Abbott’s strong leadership,” Abbott campaign manager Kim Snyder said in a statement. “The broad backing we’ve received proves that Texans are committed to keeping our state strong, secure, and prosperous.”
Abbott is heading into campaign season with an $86 million war chest — an imposing number that could be enough to stave off some Democrats contemplating whether to challenge him in next year’s election.
The green harvest of 2025 arrived after a session filled with victories for the three-term governor, chief among them a new program to offer parents taxpayer-funded vouchers for private school tuition and other education expenses.
That’s the most efficient fundraising Abbott has ever reported in mid-year filings following a legislative session, according to The Blast’s review of the governor’s filings from his decade in the governor’s mansion. The most comparable year was 2021, when Abbott reported raising $20.9 million — but the moratorium lifted a few days earlier that year, giving him 10 days to collect what amounted to an average daily haul of $2.1 million, a shade lower than this year’s rate.
The governor raked in the money during an eight-day window from June 23 — when the moratorium on political contributions surrounding the legislative session was lifted — through the end of the month. That works out to a whopping daily average intake of $2.5 million. On June 30 alone, he reported receiving $7.7 million — roughly 100 times what the median Texas household earns in a year.
Gov. Greg Abbott , the state’s most prolific fundraiser , once again showed his fundraising prowess this week, reporting an astonishing $20 million haul over the last week of June that might make some would-be Democratic challengers think twice about going against him in 2026.
TAKEAWAYS FROM CONGRESSIONAL FUNDRAISING DISCLOSURES
As the race for U.S. Senate heats up, new fundraising numbers from the second quarter of the year give the first glimpse of how that heavyweight bout is shaping up. You can read more about the financial state of the race here.
But The Blast dove even deeper into the financial filings of the Texas congressional delegation and some of the candidates vying for Congress.
Rep. Michael McCaul had a sluggish quarter, raising a little less than $92,000 — $610,000 less than during the same period two years ago. But during the last cycle, McCaul, R-Austin, was serving as chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, a position that tends to grease the wheels for a member’s fundraising efforts.
Across the aisle, Rep. Jasmine Crockett brought in an eye-popping $2.1 million, putting her war chest at $3.7 million. The Dallas Democrat has been seen as a rising star within her party, known for her combative and viral moments featuring sharp quips aimed at her Republican colleagues. In the same span last cycle, she only brought in $139,000.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, is facing a primary challenge from the hardline state Rep. Steve Toth, but the four-term congressman is in a solid financial position with $624,000 in his coffers. He brought in about $451,000 this quarter and spent $330,000. Toth declared his candidacy after the second quarter ended, so no financial figures are available for his federal campaign.
Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, whose district is being targeted by Republicans this cycle, raised $488,000 last quarter, giving him a campaign balance of $932,000.
Democrats, on the other hand, are targeting Rep. Monica De La Cruz’s district. The Edinburg Republican raised an impressive $867,000, arming her with a $1.3 million war chest to use against any challenger that threatens her South Texas seat.
In Texas’ safely Democratic 18th Congressional District, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee raised $586,000 in his bid to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, the largest haul of any candidate in the race. Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards brought in $428,000, while state Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, collected about $101,000 after launching her campaign in early June.
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