(CNN) – It seems everything's bigger in Texas - including the amount of money flowing into the coffers of the state's top two Republican gubernatorial candidates.
Gov. Rick Perry, running for a third full term this year, reports raising $7.1 million in the second half of 2009. His campaign held $11.6 million cash on hand at the start of this year.
Primary challenger Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison reports bringing in more than $6 million during the same period, with $12.3 million in the bank at the start of this year.
The Perry and Hutchison campaigns released their numbers in advance of filing official reports with the Texas Ethics Commission by the end of the week.
The two candidates, along with fellow Republican Debra Medina, face off Thursday night in their first televised debate. The Republican primary is March 2.
–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
From CNN Politics
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Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the country and we are a red state. Perry talks about robin hood taxes... like take from the rich and give to the poor.. and how evil it is. Yet, we have 'robbing our hood' taxes... take from every 'hood' rich and poor.. and at the same time huff and puff about how much Obama is raising our taxes. What? My taxes under democrat Obama are 28%. Far less than the same income under Ronald Reagan at 49%. Perry talks and talks and each year my property taxes go up and up. Perry is like "Crow's Fall" by Ted Hughes.
No more Democrats in office they are destroying this country.
Sheesh . . . what a lousy choice. Although I'd probably vote for any one of the three stooges before I'd vote for Perry. So glad I don't live in Texas!
Hutchinson? Perry?....same thing just different gender. It dos'nt matter who wins it will still be the good old boy system....I might vote for Bill White if I vote..
"But, right now, 47% of all Americans pay no Federal income tax at all and just the top 10% in terms of income are soaked for 90% of all revenue collected from individual income taxes."
And rightly so, since 90% is around the portion of wealth that the top 10% control. Third world class income disparity anyone? Have a nice day!
Who cares. If you really want good government, don't vote Republican.
Is Rick Perry Gay ? My brother in Texas said his is, not that it matters.
I just like and respect when a candidate is upfront and honest .
Beautiful, Texas, you have a Tri Delt cheerleader against someone who Kinky Firedman referred to as a statue. Enjoy. Lucky for me I was able to escape across the border during the Bill Clements regime.
BILL WHITE FOR GOVERNOR!!!!
DEMOCRATS CAN TAKE OVER THIS YEAR IF WE GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!!
Perry... Hutchinson... somewhere in Texas a couple of villages are missing their idiots.
Is Hutchinson any less anti-reason, pro-death as Perry?
I hope all Democrats will cross party lines and vote for Kay in the Republican primary. Anybody but Perry.
The lies are bigger in TX too.
Let them secede. It will be less of a drain on the US budget.
Oh - take Alaska with you.
"No more Democrats in office they are destroying this country."
You would have to be a certified blathering idiot to really belive this. The country is 200% better off than it would have been under continued [R] rule, and the resulting continued FAILURE that the [R]'s started....and the country continues to improve by the week. Don't forget the FACT that [R] policies and neglect had us on the verge of another great depression. And their solution - voiced loudly and rudely even today - to help no one with nobody's taxes - would surely have been the straw that broke that camel's back. Who can, with a straight face and clear mind, truthfully say they wish the [R]s had won in Nov. 2008?
The choice this Nov. is for continued improvement with the [D]s, or a slide back to the depression with the [R]s. People who vote [R] need genetic counceling; certainly something has contaminated their gene pool.
Considering the caliber of who is running and who is electing them, I would contend it is time for Texas to secede. Is this the best we can do?
Why does it take and cost so much money to get a public servents position that only pays about 200K a year??? So when a Republican tries to sell you on the ole "Gods will" crapola, that's their way of telling you that there God has a name, and that name is MONEY!!!!!!!! That's the only God they worship!!!
alabama is in the same boat.idiots run my state to............
Anyone but BILL WHITE for Gov.... a.k.a.......Mayor Sanctuary. Houston has had too many of her Houston Police Officers killed by illegal aliens. Houston was a sanctuary city under Bill White. Vote for him and he'll make Texas a sanctuary state. Bill White is not good for Texas for many reasons! Vote for Debra Medina!
DON'T VOTE FOR FORMER MAYOR SANCTUARY BILL WHITE FOR GOVERNOR.
"operation chaos" 2.0
We will vote for Kay in the con primary and then vote for White in the general.
Either way, there would be no more pompadour Perry!
Perry is a lunatic, but nobody takes him seriously anyway. Hutchison is a dyed-in-the-wool fanatic who would like to drag us back into the Dark Ages; let us pray they will divide the Republican base sufficiently to allow a sane, moderately progressive candidate to emerge victorious.