In the second quarter of this year, which extended to June 30, Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) raised millions more than incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as Allred seeks to unseat the latter in office. Cruz’s total for the second quarter surpassed $4.4 million, while Allred hit $6.2 million.
Other qualifiers to these figures also prove relevant. For Cruz, that fundraising total represented what his team raised at three entities associated with his run for another term, a list that even includes a leadership PAC that is legally barred from many forms of direct support. As for Allred, his fundraising total represents a haul from not even the entire quarter, having announced his primary run in early May, meaning the figures for the Democrat are from only about two months. Thus, Allred raised millions more than Cruz with less time to do it.
To face Cruz on the general election ballot next year, Allred, who is a former NFL player, would first need to win the primary. Another prominent candidate recently entered that race, with state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who observers have noted was prominent in fighting for gun control after the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, also joining the Democratic Party’s contest.
As has been the case with other Democrats seeking to challenge particularly controversial Republicans, Gutierrez focused on an interest in forging a more stable path in early remarks. These Democrats are trying to distinguish themselves from the political approach of Republicans like first-term Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who has introduced nearly half a dozen measures in the House all relating to Adam Schiff (the California Democrat) after less than a year actually in the House!
Elsewhere, Democrats face what’s considered a steep climb across the map of Senate elections happening next year. The party will be defending seats in recently Republican-leaning states like Montana and Ohio, and seats in close states like Arizona and Nevada will also be on the ballot with the presidential contest.
