O'Rourke Raises $38.1M, Triples Cruz Despite Sagging Polls
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Democrat Beto O'Rourke raised a record-breaking $38.1 million in the past three months, more than tripling the haul of his Republican opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz.
The Texas race for U.S. Senate has become one of the country's hottest, and maybe its closest.
O'Rourke announced Friday that the funding came from more than 800,000 donors. The ex-punk rocker has become a star in national liberal circles.
His totals through September 30 broke quarterly Senate fundraising records for non-self-funded campaigns.
O'Rourke posted on social media about the fundraising record saying, "We are doing something absolutely historic – not just ensuring that we have the resources to run and to win – but to make sure that our democracy, once again, is powered by people and only people."
Cruz previously announced raising $12 million over the same period. He'd correctly predicted that O'Rourke would triple that.
CBS 11 Political Reporter Jack Fink reached out to the Ted Cruz campaign Friday morning for reaction. They had no comment but referred back to their statement on October 4 when Cruz told supporters in Plano, Texas, "I think it is very likely Beto O'Rourke is going to receive a quarter north of $30 million."
When asked as late as Thursday night, the Democrat challenger had said they were not releasing their fundraising results just yet. "We're not ready to release the numbers just yet," said O'Rourke. When asked if it was 'that much' O'Rourke said, "We raised a good deal of money. All of it from people, no PACs and most of it from Texas, so I'm excited about that."
O'Rourke's good news comes amid polls that have begun to show him trailing Cruz by more than 9 points. No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994.
O'Rourke was in North Texas Thursday where he downplayed the results of the poll. "The energy that we feel here tonight in McKinney we're seeing all over the state," he said. "I think we're going to see it in the polls on the 6th."
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
