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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Colin Allred continues to outperform Sen. Ted Cruz in the month leading up to Election Day, bringing in over $11.8 million in the first 16 days of the month. At the same time, Cruz has raised over $9.9 million.

Recent earnings include over $1 million that Allred brought in the day after the two candidates debated on October 15th. So far this election cycle, Allred has raised over $80 million. Cruz has now 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 donation, Allred eclipsed the 2018 campaign of U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who closed the election cycle with a donation of over $70 million.

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

Cruz also has several heavyweights funding ads that benefit his re-election efforts. Truth and Courage PAC, a super PAC dedicated to re-electing Cruz, has spent over $28 million since the start of 2023, including $11 million on television advertising this year, according to tracking firm AdImpact. The pro-Republican Win It Back PAC has also spent more than $5 million on television advertising, and both the NRSC and the Republican Party of Texas have each spent more than $2 million on television advertising.

According to AdImpact, Allred's campaign has spent over $31 million on television advertising this cycle. According to AdImpact, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee invested an additional $10 million.

The Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, announced Thursday that it would invest $5 million in television advertising in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. It's the first major investment by an outside pro-Democratic group in television advertising in the Senate race.

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

Television advertising was a key element in Allred's campaign, which had to contend with his low profile outside his hometown of Dallas.

Cruz expected an influx of donations for his challenger early in the cycle. After former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke ran through fundraising records and came within three percentage points of Cruz in 2018, Cruz signaled to Republican donors that no seat is safe, even in a state like Texas, where the Republicans have controlled all statewide offices for a generation.

Cruz's campaign has raised more than twice as much as it did in 2018.

The Texas Tribune is answering reader questions about the 2024 elections. To share your question or feedback with us, you can fill out this form.