DALLAS — Last week, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who’s challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, announced he raised $30.3 million for his campaign in the third quarter of this year, outpacing Cruz’s haul by about $9 million during the same period.
Allred and Cruz face off in The Texas Debate on WFAA at 7 p.m. tonight, their only one in their Senate race. Ahead of the debate, a new poll showed a tight race, with the latest survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston showing Cruz leading Allred 50% to 46%.
Allred’s campaign Oct. 8 announced it had raised more than $68.7 million to date with an average donation of $36.57.
Cruz’s campaign Oct. 7 announced it raised more than $21 million in the third quarter of this year, with an average contribution of $38.23.
The Texas Tribune reports as of Oct. 8, Cruz and Allred have collectively raised at least $132 million since the start of the Senate race, smashing the nearly $90 million Cruz and O’Rourke had collected by the same point in 2018
In response to the fundraising news, Cruz in a new interview with Fox News complained about the lack of financial support from national Republicans in his battle against Allred.
In the interview, Cruz acknowledged being outspent by Allred and said he was unable to spend on TV ads until just over three weeks ago.
“We are in the middle of a full-on battle,” Cruz said. “We’re being massively outspent.”
"Mitch McConnell runs the largest Republican super PAC in the country and has $400 million, but that super PAC is used to reward the Republican senators who obey him and to punish those who dare to stand up to him," Cruz reportedly said in the interview with conservative commentator Mark Levin, the host of "Life, Liberty and Levin" on Fox Nation.
Senate Democrats announced late last month that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was including Texas in a “multimillion dollar” push to fund TV ads on behalf of Allred.
