Gov. Greg Abbott is heavily outspending rival Beto O’Rourke in the television ad war for Texas governor, showcasing the impact the Republican incumbent’s stout campaign fund is having on what could be a close race.
Last week, Abbott increased the amount his campaign plans to spend on ads between now and Nov. 8 by nearly $12 million, according to AdImpact, a company that tracks ad spending. The new funding puts the governor’s past and future spending at $33.5 million to O’Rourke’s $18.8 million. The Democrat was only about $1 million behind Abbott in past and future spending last week, AdImpact reported.
O’Rourke had been allocating more money than Abbott for ads, but his total future spending was $9 million last week and $7.4 million this week.
The governor’s TV campaign for the general election kicked off in August, when kids returned to school and more people started tuning in. He spent $4.3 million to splash two ads across much of Texas, according to AdImpact, a company that tracks spending.
O’Rourke didn’t make a significant broadcast and cable buy in August, spending about $40,000 for limited airings in six markets, AdImpact reported. Instead, the campaign waited until Sept. 6 to make significant buys across the weeks leading up to Nov. 8.
Abbott’s early advantage on television highlights the disparate strategies of the campaigns. O’Rourke, who reported $24 million in cash this summer, is trying to make sure his resources are used during the race’s prime-time weeks, when people are paying closer attention to the drama that will unfold. The Democrat is also relying on his massive volunteer organization to speak to voters in their communities.
Abbott reported $6 million on hand and has spent more than O’Rourke on TV, radio and digital ads for the general election: $20.7 million compared with O’Rourke’s $12.3 million through Oct. 6, according to AdImpact.
But O’Rourke is getting an assist from the organization Coulda Been Worse, named for a comment Abbott made after the Uvalde school shooting.
The group, a limited liability company that is not required to disclose its donors, has spent $14 million on multiple ads targeting Abbott and other Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Expect the dollar amounts to continue soaring and the television ad fight to intensify as the calendar moves closer to Election Day. The candidates’ next campaign finance reports covering the period from July 1 to Sept. 29 are due Tuesday, Oct. 11.
