Dewhurst's connections in Texas business and politics are reflected in his fundraising. The lieutenant governor has received nearly $5.4 million, about 90 percent of it from donors in the state. Cruz has raised about $6 million, about 30 percent from out of state.
Dewhurst, whose personal wealth exceeds $200 million, has lent his campaign over $10 million and hasn't ruled out spending more. Cruz has gotten millions from South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund, the anti-tax Club for Growth and former Texas Rep. Dick Armey's FreedomWorks — all of whom say Dewhurst is too moderate for sometimes compromising with Texas Senate Democrats to get key legislation approved.
Dewhurst's network of supporters helped him beat Cruz 44 percent to 34 percent in the May 29 primary. He fell about 70,000 votes short of winning the nomination outright in a field of nine Republicans running to succeed retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Dewhurst and Cruz are campaigning hard in the Dallas area to win over supporters of the third place finisher, former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, who hasn't endorsed either. But getting voters to the polls at all will be a challenge, said Neerman, the former Dallas GOP chairman.
"In the summer in Texas," he said, "folks are more worried about their trips to Colorado and Disney World and the lake than they are going to vote."
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