Six Democratic challengers have topped $1 million in Texas congressional races

Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni (center) talks with a supporter in his campaign office on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 in Sugar Land. Kulkarni's staff has been running phone banking operations with various volunteers who can speak a diverse group of languages from Mandarin Chinese to Tamil to Spanish. The 22nd Congressional District Kulkarni is running in is considered the most diverse in the state and includes Sugar Land and much of the rest of Fort Bend County. less Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni (center) talks with a supporter in his campaign office on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 in Sugar Land. Kulkarni's staff has been running phone banking operations with various volunteers ... more Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Six Democratic challengers have topped $1 million in Texas congressional races 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Houston-area Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni is the sixth Democratic challenger in Texas to top $1 million in campaign contributions as he attempts to ride the blue wave in his race against five-term Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Olson.

Kulkarni’s campaign announced it has raised more than $500,000 from donors over the past three months and more than $1 million overall for his race against Olson, R-Sugar Land, in the 22nd Congressional District. Olson has not released fundraising figures for the last three months but reported just about $1 million raised for his re-election back in July.

“This campaign has proven that we can win,” Kulkarni said. “And we’re doing it all without corporate PAC money.”

Kulkarni, a former foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department, is aggressively reaching out to voters in minority communities that have traditionally had low turnout in midterm election cycles.

The 22nd Congressional District which includes parts of Harris, Brazoria and Fort Bend counties.

Olson, first elected in 2008, has never faced such a well funded challenger for re-election. Since 2010, Olson’s three previous Democratic opponents combined to raise less than $150,000.

Democratic challengers for Congress in Texas who have raised at least $1 million for 2018:

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher - 7th Congressional District (Houston)

Joseph Kopser - 21st Congressional District (San Antonio)

Sri Preston Kulkarni - 22nd Congressional District (Houston)

Gina Ortiz Jones - 23rd Congressional District (San Antonio)

MJ Hegar - 31st Congressional District (Williamson County)

Colin Allred - 32nd Congressional District (Dallas)