Campaign finance reports show Gov. Greg Abbott with a healthy fundraising lead over democratic challenger Lupe Valdez. The governor is working with nearly $23 million in his war chest, while the former Dallas County sheriff has just over $222,000.
Don Hooper, blogger at Houston Conservative Forum, says Texas Republicans were popping champagne when Valdez topped Andrew White in the Democratic primary.
“I think it was one of the great gifts to Republicans in Harris County that she won that race,” he says. “Abbott will beat her by 20 or 30 points, the question how much money does Abbott spend in Harris County? How much does he spend in the major urban areas knowing that he's going to win by a longshot?”
Hooper says Democrats at this point are playing a down ballot race with the big prize being the Ted Cruz's U.S. Senate seat.
“They don't even think of Valdez as a candidate. They want the frontrunner to be Beto O'Rourke. They consider him leading their ticket. Valdez's name never even comes up.”