Two years before he next faces primary voters, Gov. Greg Abbott raised $8.67M during the first six months of 2016. Abbott reported having $28.6M on hand, nearly double the amount he had on hand four years ago ($14.5M as of June 30, 2012) and the eighth time he has reported at least $20M on hand. Abbott has had more on hand than the entire 36-member U.S. House delegation from Texas ($25.5M).

The highest amount former Gov. Rick Perry ever reported on hand was $11.6M as of December 31, 2009. Abbott has reported having more than that on hand for 14 consecutive campaign finance reporting periods dating back to December 31, 2011.

Gov. Greg Abbott

Gov. Greg
Abbott

Abbott has reported at $9M in cash on hand for 21 consecutive campaign finance reporting periods dating back to June 30, 2009. Perry reported at least $9M on hand a total of nine times (five of them consecutive) between December 31, 2005 and just before the 2010 general election.

Abbott’s $8.67M in contributions for the period is the third-highest amount he has ever reported raising in a single reporting period (He has twice raised more than $11M in a reporting period.) and, we believe, the 8th highest total ever reported by a governor or gubernatorial candidate in any one fundraising period. Abbott’s contribution total is nearly $5.6M more than he raised in the first half of 2012, and it is $1.7M more than the total amount raised by Gov. Rick Perry in the first halves of 2008, 2004 and 2000 combined. All five of those fundraising periods occurred in the first half of the presidential election year preceding the candidate’s gubernatorial election run. It is more than Perry ever reported raising in a single campaign finance reporting period (excluding his presidential campaigns).

Perry raised $110.2M over 14 years as the state’s governor ($7.8M per year on average). As governor for 18 months, Abbott has raised $24.0M ($16.0M per year). In the last 14 years, Abbott has raised $106.7M. This includes his 12 years as attorney general, 18 months as governor and his last six months as a Supreme Court justice.

Abbott has raised $75.7M over the last four years. The most Perry raised over any four-year period was $49.5M, which he raised between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010. In that election cycle, Perry defeated a sitting U.S. senator in the primary and the well-funded former mayor of Houston in the general election. Abbott had no serious primary challenger in 2014, but he faced an even better-funded state senator in the general election.

Greg Abbott’s Reported Contributions by Year

As Governor
2016 – $8,667,663 (first half of year)
2015 – $15,333,878

As Attorney General
2014 – $31,210,548 (running for Governor)
2013 – $16,361,437
2012 – $7,239,427
2011 – $3,619,468
2010 – $3,467,668 (running for re-election)
2009 – $2,361,202
2008 – $1,799,957
2007 – $2,217,466
2006 – $3,855,822 (running for re-election)
2005 – $2,999,660
2004 – $2,475,283
2003 – $1,508,190

As a private citizen
2002 – $5,894,321 (running for AG)
2001 – $1,958,428

As a Supreme Court justice
2000 – none
1999 – $250
1998 – $848,599 (running for full term)
1997 – $582,302
1996 – $582,302 (running to finish unexpired term)
1995 – $46,297

As a District Judge
1994 – $668,062

Boldface indicates election year

Rick Perry’s Reported Contributions by Year

As Governor
2014 – $386,123
2013 – $90,523
2012 – $5,496,181
2011 – $1,396,669
2010 – $27,953,297 (running for re-election)
2009 – $11,365,244
2008 – $6,672,095
2007 – $3,478,434
2006 – $14,082,421 (running for re-election)
2005 – $7,009,027
2004 – $7,129,438
2003 – $4,270,290
2002 – $14,347,581 (running for re-election)
2001 – $6,516,256

As Lt. Governor
2000 – $6,121,576
1999 – $4,056,426

As Agriculture Commissioner
1998 – $8,550,014 (running for Lt. Governor)
1997 – $3,077,739
1996 – $638,941
1995 – $243,460
1994 – $711,817* (running for re-election)
1993 – $287,567**

Boldface indicates election year.

* His January Semiannual report for 2015 is not available online. It would cover the period between October 20ish and the end of 2014.
** Campaign finance reports prior to January 1994 are not available online.

Totals exclude Perry’s presidential campaign accounts.

Between July 1993 and December 2014, Perry has reported raising $133.9M for his state campaigns. Perry’s career total cannot be calculated because campaign finance reports submitted prior to that are not available online, and they were not required prior to 1992. Based on the pattern of his contributions beginning in 1994, it’s unlikely he raised more than $5M prior to July 1, 1993. This would put his career total at around $137-$139M for his own state campaigns.

Abbott has raised $113.1M since 1995, the year he was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-Gov. George W. Bush. If his current fundraising trajectory continues, Abbott will pass Perry as the state’s most prolific fundraiser by the 2018 primary. Perry achieved the title by being governor for a record 14 years. Abbott will likely surpass him after being governor for just over three years.

Top Contribution Totals Reported by Gubernatorial Candidates

$22,172,270 – Tony Sanchez, 30-day-out report for 2002 general election*
$20,122,619 – Tony Sanchez, January semiannual report for 2003*
$11,570,420 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2014
$11,078,368 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2014
$9,833,737 – Wendy Davis, July semiannual report for 2014**
$8,967,361 – Wendy Davis, 30-day-out report for 2014 general election**
$8,728,008 – Wendy Davis, January semiannual report for 2014**
$8,667,663 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2016
$8,404,385 – Rick Perry, 8-day-out report for 2010 general election
$8,266,394 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2015
$8,256,335 – Rick Perry, 30-day-out report for 2010 general election
$7,875,624 – Greg Abbott, 30-day-out report for 2014 general election
$7,470,895 – Bill White, July semiannual report for 2010
$7,211,549 – Wendy Davis, 8-day-out report for 2014 general election**
$7,134,158 – Rick Perry, January semiannual report for 2010
$7,067,484 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2016

* More than 90% of Sanchez’s campaign was self-funded.
** Includes only contributions made to Davis’s COH and SPAC accounts and does not include any additional funds she raised for Battleground Texas or the Texas Victory Committee.

For reasons previously mentioned, we are unable to provide specific numbers for Bush while he was in office. None of his campaign finance reports after the July 1994 semiannual report are currently available online. He reported raising $5.4M between July 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994. A January 2000 report produced by Texans for Public Justice calculated Bush’s contribution totals as $15.8M for his 1994 race against then-Gov. Ann Richards and $25.2M for his 1998 re-election race against Garry Mauro. It is unclear if these totals are one-, two- or (in the case of 1998) four-year figures.

The only gubernatorial candidate to surpass Abbott or Perry was Democratic nominee Tony Sanchez in 2002. His largely self-financed campaign reported $62.4M in contributions, almost all of which were received in 2002. However, only $5.8M came from sources other than the candidate himself. Four years later, Chris Bell raised slightly more from outside contributors.

In terms of cash on hand at the end of a reporting period, Abbott has recorded the 15 highest of any governor or gubernatorial candidate. The next highest is Perry’s $11.6M as of December 31, 2009. The highest Democratic candidate’s total is Bill White’s $9.0M as of June 30, 2010.

Top 20 Cash-on-hand Figures Reported by Gubernatorial Candidates

$35,594,251 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2014
$30,101,120 – Greg Abbott, 30-day-out report for 2014 general election
$29,982,908 – Greg Abbott, 8-day-out report for 2014 primary election
$29,431,521 – Greg Abbott, 30-day-out report for 2014 primary election
$28,624,346 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2016
$27,021,747 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2014
$22,470,112 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2016
$20,978,130 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2013
$18,032,304 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2013
$17,781,081 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2015
$14,504,277 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2012
$13,291,215 – Greg Abbott, 8-day-out report for 2014 general election
$12,514,727 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2015
$12,037,960 – Greg Abbott, January semiannual report for 2012
$11,841,229 – Greg Abbott, 30-day-out report for 2010 general election
$11,608,819 – Rick Perry, January semiannual report for 2010
$11,530,875 – Rick Perry, January semiannual report for 2006
$11,209,704 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2010
$10,442,559 – Rick Perry, 30-day-out report for 2010 primary election
$10,428,701 – Greg Abbott, July semiannual report for 2011