O’Rourke raises $7M in first weeks of bid for Texas governor

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrat Beto O’Rourke says his campaign for Texas governor raised more $7 million in the first weeks of a race that could wind up as one of the nation’s most expensive in 2022. The announcement Tuesday is an early marker of whether O’Rourke’s can remain a fundraising powerhouse following failed bids for the U.S. Senate and president. The haul is significant by the standards of other Texas Democrats who have run for governor but have failed to succeed for more than 30 years. At the same time, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for years has shown an ability to raise millions of dollars in a matter of days from executives of some of Texas’ largest corporations and energy firms.