In final days of Senate race, Colin Allred surpasses Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 Senate fundraising record

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WASHINGTON – Rep. US Colin Allred continues to supersede Sen. Ted Cruz in the month leading up to Election Day, bringing in more than $11.8 million in the first 16 days of the month. At the same time, Cruz raised more than $9.9 million.

Recent returns include more than $1 million brought in by Allred the day after the two candidates debated on October 15. So far this election cycle, Allred has raised more than $80 million. Cruz, meanwhile, has raised more than $86.7 million, including money he raised in the years after his 2018 run and before Allred entered the race.

With this latest run, Allred eclipsed the 2018 run of U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who finished the election cycle raising more than $70 million.

Allred has consistently outscored Cruz in every quarter this year. But Cruz remains a formidable fundraiser — one of the most prolific among his Senate Republican colleagues and a top fundraiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Cruz also has some heavy-hitting crowdfunding ads benefiting his re-election effort. Truth and Courage PAC, a super PAC dedicated to Cruz’s re-election bid, has spent more than $28 million since the start of 2023, including $11 million in television ads this year, according to tracking firm AdImpact. The pro-Republican PAC Win It Back also spent more than $5 million in TV ads, and both the NRSC and the Texas Republican Party each spent more than $2 million on television.

The Allred campaign spent more than $31 million on television ads this cycle, according to AdImpact. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee invested an additional $10 million, according to AdImpact.

Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC associated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, announced Thursday that it will invest $5 million in television ads in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It’s the first major TV ad investment by a pro-Democrat outside group in the Senate race.

The Senate Leadership Fund, the Republican counterpart to Senate Majority PAC, has not announced any investments to help Cruz in the race.

Television ads have been a key element of Allred’s campaign, which has had to deal with low name recognition outside of his hometown of Dallas.

Cruz anticipated an influx of fundraising for his challenger early in the cycle. After former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke blew away fundraising records and came within 3 percentage points of defeating Cruz in 2018, Cruz signaled to Republican donors that no place is safe, even in a state like Texas where Republicans controlled every state office. for a generation.

Cruz’s campaign has raised more than twice the amount it did in 2018.

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