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 Democrat Wendy Davis said Tuesday that she raised $12.2 million
from July to December, outpacing Republican front-runner Greg Abbott
during the same period. Davis, a state lawmaker who captured the
national spotlight last summer with a nearly 11-hour filibuster of a
law tightening restrictions on abortion, did not enter the race
until October.
Abbott's campaign announced that he raised $11.5 million during the
last six months of the year. But the Texas attorney general, who has
been in the race longer than Davis, has a total war chest that is
vastly larger than his rival's, with $27 million.
"Greg Abbott is humbled and excited by the widespread support from
across the state," his campaign manager, Wayne Hamilton, said in a
statement.
Texas has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in 20 years — the last to win the governor's office was Ann Richards in 1990. But
with a median age in the state of 34, according to the U.S. Census,
and an increasing population of residents who are Latino or have
moved from other states, many Texas Democrats say their party is
poised for a comeback.
Abbott and Davis are considered front-runners in a March 4 primary
that will pit the winners against each other in the general election
in November.
Davis, who represents Ft. Worth in the Texas Senate, drew thousands
of demonstrators to the state capitol and captivated live-stream
video viewers nationwide as she stood in pink running shoes and
spoke for hours in favor of abortion rights.
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In her first campaign finance report since announcing her candidacy
last October, Davis said she received contributions from 71,843
individuals and 85 percent of her contributions were for $50 or
less.
Her contributions include funds raised by Texas Victory Committee, a
group supported by Battleground Texas, an organization working to
register voters and help elect Democratic candidates.
Texas' current governor, former Republican presidential hopeful Rick
Perry, is not running for re-election.
(Reporting by Marice Richter; writing by Sharon Bernstein;
editing
by Lisa Shumaker)
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