Gov. Greg Abbott raked in over $20 million from July through late September, outpacing Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa’s more than $13 million haul — and also far outspending her in what has shaped up to be the Republican incumbent’s most competitive election yet.
Abbott ended the reporting period with $18.2 million in his war chest, dwarfing Hinojosa’s $4 million. But the cash disparity is far narrower than it was at the start of the year, when the governor disclosed a staggering $105.7 million on hand to Hinojosa’s less than $1 million.
Since the start of the year, Abbott has burned through a whopping $141.3 million, including $74.1 million during the latest reporting period, spanning July 1 to Sept. 24. Despite spending only about one-sixth of that amount — $12.1 million — over the 12-week span, Hinojosa has maintained a steady position in public polling, trailing Abbott by five points or less in most surveys.
Three polls last month put the Austin Democrat narrowly ahead — an unprecedented sight for Democrats in Texas. Several election forecasters also shifted the race toward Hinojosa in recent weeks.
“Despite being outspent by Abbott 10-to-1, Hinojosa is leading with the key constituencies needed to win, and her momentum is only building,” Hinojosa’s campaign said in a Monday press release. “Texans are ready for change, and on November 3rd, they’ll send Hinojosa to the governor’s mansion.”
Abbott’s campaign has projected confidence, with the governor’s top strategist dismissing one recent poll, in which Hinojosa led by 3 points, as “bogus” and “garbage.” Abbott himself said recently that his internal polling paints a different picture.
“As we head into the home stretch of the campaign, Governor Abbott continues to receive strong support from Texans who want a safer, stronger, and more affordable Texas,” Abbott campaign manager Kim Snyder said in a statement. “With Election Day less than one month away, Governor Abbott has the resources he needs to win and support Republican candidates up and down the ballot.”
Hinojosa’s fundraising picked up substantially in the final weeks of September, namely after a public poll was released Sept. 17 showing her leading Abbott for the first time this cycle. Her campaign noted that 74% of the people who gave to her 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 Abbott trailing in any of his four gubernatorial campaigns, according to RealClearPolling.
The governor’s unusually competitive race comes as Republicans across the country face political headwinds driven by President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings. Abbott is also grappling with voter backlash to data centers and property taxes, issues that have caused heartburn for the long-reigning Texas GOP, and a Senate race atop the ballot where Democrat James Talarico has narrowly led Republican Ken Paxton.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, GOP incumbent Dan Patrick raised $6.3 million to Democrat Vikki Goodwin’s $1.2 million. He ended the period with $24.4 million on hand compared to her $643,000, even after outspending the Democratic lawmaker nearly 26-to-1.
Republicans in other statewide races also reported cash-on-hand advantages over their Democratic opponents, including in the contests for attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner.
Unpacking the gubernatorial donors
Abbott’s biggest donations since July 1 included $1 million apiece 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, Texas Republican Leadership Fund.
The governor also received six-figure donations from several familiar faces. Midland oil executive Javaid Anwar contributed $750,000; Corpus Christi billionaire Robert Rowling kicked in $500,000, as did Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair Cody Campbell. And far-right West Texas megadonor Tim Dunn gave Abbott $100,000 through his group, Texans United for a Conservative Majority.
The vast majority of Hinojosa’s haul came from small-dollar donors. Her campaign noted that she received over 248,000 contributions from more than 136,000 unique donors, with an average contribution of $53.37.
Hinojosa, a former Austin ISD board president, received her largest donation from the American Federation of Teachers, which gave $250,000.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a widely anticipated 2028 presidential contender, also contributed $200,000, as did Susan Sarofim, a Houston businesswoman and widow of billionaire investment manager Fayez 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 contender and the head of the Democratic Governors Association.
Nodding to the small-dollar donations, Hinojosa said in a statement that she is running a “people-powered campaign.”
“From now until Election Day,” she said, “I will continue fighting for a Texas that puts working people over 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 and Cody and Tara Campbell have been financial supporters within the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.
