UPDATED: 2:29 pm
The governor raised $3.554 million during the fundraising period that ended on January 15. His total cash on hand is $6.028 million. This level of activity (or inactivity) strongly suggests that Perry is not running for reelection. It is nowhere near enough for a governor’s race–remember that he spent more than $41 million in the 2010 cycle. I have never thought he would seek another term, but if he does run again, he is vulnerable to a strong Republican like Greg Abbott, whose war chest is big enough for a gloves-off Republican primary. But I don’t think such an event will ever take place. Perry will not risk his record of never having lost a race in Texas.
There are two more fundraising periods before the November 2014 general election, which gives Perry a lot of time to raise money. If he were really interested in seeking a fourth full term, though, I believe he would have raised a lot more money by now. The guessing should be over by July of this year, when Perry has said he would reveal his future plans at that time.
As for other officeholders, here’s a quick look at their numbers, including Dan Branch, who is thought to be interested in running for Attorney General:
Abbott: $4.1 million raised, $18 million cash on hand
Dewhurst: $3.3 million raised, just under $2 million cash on hand
Combs: $1 million raised, $7.3 million cash on hand
Straus: $1 million raised, $5.279 million cash on hand
Branch: $765k raised, $2.5 million cash on hand
Staples: $639k raised, more than $2 million cash on hand
Patterson: $483k raised, more than $1 million cash on hand
