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Democrat Beto O'Rourke announces he's running for Governor of Texas
Democrat O'Rourke made the announcement on social media saying in part, "Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today."
Beto O'Rourke raised $2 million in the first 24 hours of his run for governor, his campaign tells The Texas Tribune.
His campaign called it a record "for any Democratic gubernatorial candidate for the first 24 hours" of a campaign. They also said it was the most raised in the "first 24 hours of any campaign in 2021."
O'Rourke is a fundraising powerhouse, though he faces an even more formidable fundraiser in Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. He had $55 million cash on hand at the end of June.
O'Rourke's fundraising total for his first 24 hours was $2,015,885, his campaign said. The haul came from "about" 31,000 donors, according to a campaign spokesperson, Abhi Rahman.
O'Rourke has been on the road since launching his campaign Monday morning, making stops in Fort Stockton, San Antonio and Laredo. He is scheduled to visit the Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday.
More from The Texas Tribune
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Prairie View A&M professor shares thoughts on Beto O'Rourke's run for Texas governor
It's going to be a long road ahead for former congressman Beto O'Rourke as he seeks to replace Governor Greg Abbott. Dr. Michael Marshall, Assistant Professor of Political Science, talks about the challenges O'Rourke faces and what he needs to do to win.
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