Beto O’Rourke has raised $76.5 million in his bid for governor of Texas this year. Stacey Abrams has raised $85 million in her bid for governor of Georgia. When all is said and done, O’Rourke will probably top $80 million and Abrams may raise more than $90 million, so Democratic donors have given least $161 million, and may give about $170 million or so to two progressive Democrats who are running fairly longshot races against Republican incumbents in traditionally GOP-leaning southern states.
The GOP benefits from this vast fortune being spent on big-name longshot candidates instead of closer races, so Georgia and Texas and Georgia Republicans may secretly or not-so-secretly hope that O’Rourke and Abrams are interested in running in 2026, too.
But I will make one small – I mean, best-use-a-microscope small — defense of O’Rourke and Abrams. Just as every candidate has to earn your vote, every candidate has to earn your donation. If another candidate — let’s say, Tim Ryan — thinks he represents a better investment of finite resources in his open seat Senate race in Ohio, he has to make that case to Democratic donors, large and small.
[I don’t think the criticism of the fundraising is targeted at the candidates, but instead the donors who got suckered by them. Who in their right mind thought Beto’s gun-control and abortion schtick would translate into a blue Texas? — Ed]
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