Skip to main content
2024 Texas Elections

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

Colin Allred also continues to out raise Ted Cruz bringing in over $11.8 million in the first 16 days of October. Cruz raised $9.9 million in the same period.

Republish
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, left, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, take part in a debate for the U.S. Senate hosted by WFAA on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune via POOL

Sign up for the We the Texans newsletter to receive twice-monthly updates on our year-long initiative dedicated to boosting civic engagement and chronicling how democracy is experienced in Texas.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Colin Allred continues to outraise Sen. Ted Cruz in the month before Election Day, bringing in over $11.8 million in the first 16 days of the month. In the same time, Cruz has raised over $9.9 million.

The recent hauls include over $1 million Allred brought in the day after the two candidates debated on Oct. 15. This election cycle so far, Allred has raised over $80 million. Cruz meanwhile has raised over $86.7 million, including money he raised in the years after his 2018 run and before Allred entered the race.

With this latest haul, Allred eclipsed U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 run, which closed out the election cycle having raised over $70 million.

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

Cruz also has several heavy hitters funding ads benefitting his reelection effort. Truth and Courage PAC, a super PAC dedicated to reelecting Cruz, has spent over $28 million since the start of 2023, including $11 million in television ads this year, according to tracking firm AdImpact. The pro-Republican Win It Back PAC has also spent more than $5 million in TV ads, and both the NRSC and the Republican Party of Texas have each spent more than $2 million on television.

Allred’s campaign has spent over $31 million on television ads this cycle, according to AdImpact. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has invested a further $10 million, according to AdImpact.

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

Logo for The Brief newsletter.
The most important Texas news,
sent weekday mornings.

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

Cruz anticipated an influx of fundraising for his challenger early in the cycle. After former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke blasted through fundraising records and came within 3-percentage points of defeating Cruz in 2018, Cruz signaled to Republican donors that no seat is safe, even in a state like Texas where Republicans have controlled all statewide offices for a generation.

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

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?

    Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.

  • What’s on the ballot for the general election?

    In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
    -1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
    - 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
    - 15 State Senators
    - 7 State Board of Education members
    - 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
    - 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
    - 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals

    Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
    - Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
    - County Courts at Law
    - Justices of the Peace
    - District Attorneys
    - County Attorneys
    - Sheriffs
    - Constables
    - Tax Assessor-Collectors

  • How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?

    You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • What if I missed the voter registration deadline?

    You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
    If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
    If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?

    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
    For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
    For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
    For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
    For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
    For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.

  • Read more
Supported by 

Texans need truth. Help us report it.

Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?

Support independent Texas news

Become a member. Join today.

Choose an amount or learn more about membership.

$20 $25 $50 Other
Donate now

Information about the authors

Matthew Choi’s staff photo

Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Explore related story topics

Congress Politics Colin Allred Ted Cruz