Texas lawmaker: GOP facing funding disadvantage

Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) is warning that Republicans are facing a funding disadvantage in congressional races across Texas.

Flores told Hill.TV co-host Buck Sexton in an interview that aired Wednesday that Democrats and progressives in the state are outraising Republicans, despite a record amount of fundraising within the Texas GOP.

“One of the big challenges we have is that even though we as Republicans and conservatives are raising record amounts of money, we’re being really outraised by the left and by the Democrats,” Flores said.

“So we do have a resource disadvantage that we’re going to work our way through,” he added. 

Flores represents the 17th Congressional District in Texas, which is one of the most Republican-leaning districts not only in the state but also the country. It ranks as the 112th-most Republican district nationally, according to the 2018 Cook Partisan Voter Index.

Democrats and progressive groups aren’t just outraising conservatives in Texas House races — a similar trend appears to be happening in Senate races in the state as well.

Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Beto O’Rourke raised a whopping $10.4 million from April to June this year, which placed him second among the top fundraisers this election season. Incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R) meanwhile raised $4 million during the same period.

But Cruz and O’Rourke are still neck and neck — both in the polls and when it comes to campaign financing.

The latest polls show Cruz maintains a single-digit lead against O’Rourke with less than a month to go until Election Day on Nov. 6. 

O’Rourke has raised $23.33 million compared with Cruz’s $23.36 million so far, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Texas senate race has been one of the most watched races this year. A Democrat hasn’t been elected to a statewide office in the state in more than two decades.

— Tess Bonn


Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. hill tv