As Democratic Party donors produce big bucks for Beto O'Rourke, they are neglecting, perhaps foolishly so, contests that give Democrats a better chance of winning.

When you're charismatic and at the top of the ticket, raising money can be easy. Just ask O'Rourke, the El Paso congressman who hauled in over $10 million this quarter for his U.S. Senate race against incumbent Republican Ted Cruz.

Democrats running for the U.S. House have also fared well. Dallas lawyer Colin Allred posted $1.1 million for his race against Pete Sessions.

While these races are high on the wish lists of Democrats longing to make gains in conservative Texas, donors are missing out on more practical investing by, in most cases, ignoring the critical legislative races that could be more likely to net victories in November. No place is that more evident than in North Texas, the biggest battleground for Texas legislative rumbles in the state.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton won most of the House districts in Dallas County held by Republicans, as well as the state Senate District 16 held by Republican Don Huffines.

Some of those districts are clear purple areas, while others have tightened over the years as the demographics have changed to favor Democrats. Yet, many of the challengers don't have the money or resources to fully exploit their opportunity, particularly in a year where the party expects a wave because of backlash against President Donald Trump.

The results could be similar to what occurred in 2008, when Democrats picked up four legislative seats in Dallas County that were held by Republicans, helping to bring the party within two seats of retaking the House.

The bottom fell out in 2010, when Republicans rebounded on the strength of the tea party movement and a backlash against President Barack Obama.

Money flowing down ballot

This year, Democrats have a chance to pick up two state Senate seats in North Texas, and their nominees are raising cash.

In District 16 in the Dallas area, Nathan Johnson raised $362,500 for the reporting period and has $261,500 cash on hand. That's behind incumbent Don Huffines, who raised nearly $500,000 during the period and has a whopping $1 million in his campaign fund.

The district was the only one represented by a Republican won by Clinton, so Johnson has a chance to beat Huffines, even though the district leans GOP. He'll need donors to continue to step up.

In District 10 in Tarrant County, Burleson Democrat Beverly Powell trails incumbent Republican Konni Burton in the cash race. Powell has $140,000 cash on hand, compared to $528,000 in the bank for Burton.

That Senate district was once represented by 2014 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wendy Davis and could be in play if Powell gets more money.

Some House Democrats in Dallas County also are raising significant campaign cash.

In North Dallas' House District 114, Dallas lawyer John Turner, the son of former U.S. Rep. Jim Turner, raised more than $200,000 in the latest reporting period and has nearly $260,000 in his campaign fund. Turner is running against Republican Lisa Luby Ryan, who raised $215,000 in the same period, and has $168,000 in the bank.

Ryan, a businesswoman with strong ties in the district, beat state Rep. Jason Villalba in the March GOP primary by casting him as a moderate and critic of President Donald Trump. She has had only a couple of months to raise money for her race with Turner, who hopes to flip that district by appealing to Republicans who consider Ryan too extreme.

In House District 115 in northwest Dallas County, Democrats nearly unseated incumbent Republican Matt Rinaldi with little-known and underfunded Dallas lawyer Dorotha Ocker. Now Julie Johnson is running against Rinaldi, who has a stout $258,000 in his campaign fund.

Johnson raised an impressive $205,000 for the period and has $200,000 in her campaign fund. Though the district has changed over the years, Rinaldi should have a better showing in a midterm year, and he's paying more attention to Johnson than he did Ocker, who came within one percentage point of upsetting Rinaldi.

The matchups in Districts 114 and 115 represent the best hopes for Democrats in the fall, given the makeup of the district and the ability of the candidates to develop resources.

Missed opportunities?

Other chances for victory are there for Democrats, but the candidates are being largely ignored by donors.

Take House District 105 in Irving and Grand Prairie. It has long featured close races, particularly in presidential election years.

Incumbent Rodney Anderson has $140,000 in campaign money, but Terry Meza, who ran against Anderson two years ago, has only managed to bank $10,179 after raising $19,400 for the period.

If there is any kind of wave, the district should fall to Democrats. But the task is more difficult with an underfunded candidate.

Other Democrats face similar challenges. In House District 113, Democrat Rhetta Bowers has a paltry $21,600 in her campaign fund against Republican Jonathan Boos, who has $12,700 on hand after emerging from a tough GOP primary. The seat is now held by Republican Cindy Burkett, who lost a primary race for Senate against incumbent Bob Hall.

In the Park Cities-anchored House District 108, incumbent Republican Morgan Meyer is in good fundraising shape with $473,000 cash on hand after raising $214,000 for the period.

Though the district has been changing over the years to potentially make it more competitive for Democrats, donors aren't listening. Democrat Joanna Cattanach raised a respectable $71, 900 for the period and has $53,000 in the bank, but she'll need much more to keep pace with Meyer.

In North Dallas' House District 102 represented by Republican Linda Koop, Democrat Ana-Maria Ramos has $19,500 in her fund, far less than the $82,000 the incumbent has to spend.

And Democrat Brandy Chambers, with $23,000 in her account, is severely underwater against Republican incumbent Angie Chen Button, who has a staggering $714,000 for her re-election bid in House District 112.

Democrats will have to defend one seat. In House District 107, incumbent Victoria Neave enjoys a fundraising advantage with $95,700 in cash compared to the $20,000 on hand for Republican Deanna Metzger, who had to get past a primary.

Democrats, who often are moved to vote and participate in politics with their hearts, have the chance to rattle the Texas political landscape in midterm elections, which would set them up nicely for the important 2020 contests, when even more voters will flood the polls.

But if the bright lights of O'Rourke's campaign obscure the rest of the ballot, Democrats will miss out on building the foundation they need to one day turn Texas blue.