Updated throughout on July 16, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott raised $12.1 million in the last two weeks of June, his biggest haul in the immediate aftermath of a legislative session of his five years as governor, his campaign said Monday.

Abbott, a second-term Republican not scheduled to face the voters again until 2022, brought his cash on hand to $26.3 million. The campaign boasted that Abbott raised more money in this brief post-session window than the $10.1 million he raised in 2017, attributing it to "the success" of the recently ended session, in which lawmakers passed limits on property taxes, raised teacher pay and overhauled school finance.

"Today's announcement of this record-breaking fundraising total speaks to the success of the 86th legislative session," Abbott said in the release.

"Texans demanded property tax and school finance reform this session, and Republicans delivered," he added. "I am grateful for the support of so many, and I look forward to tirelessly working over the next year and a half to expand our Republican majorities in the House and Senate and keep Texas red."

State law imposes a fundraising blackout immediately before, during and after a legislative sessions, but no limits on contributions. This most recent report covers just June 17 through 30, after lawmakers finished up the 2019 session and the fundraising moratorium was lifted.

In those two weeks, the nine top Republicans in statewide office brought in nearly $19 million.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate, raised $3.1 million. With help from donors like Williams Brothers Construction CEO James "Doug" Pitcock, who gave him $200,000, Patrick was able to fill his campaign war chest with just more than $11 million. He, like Abbott, is fresh off reelection and won't face voters until 2022; Patrick has recently rejected rumors he was planning to leave Texas to join the administration of President Donald J. Trump.

Attorney General Ken Paxton was the third highest fundraiser, raking in $1.3 million. He now has nearly $3.5 million in the bank. Under indictment for securities fraud, Paxton did not take cash gifts last year for his legal fund, according to his most recent financial statement. Since 2016, he's raised more than half a million dollars to fund his defense team.

But Paxton's trials have been on hold for more than a year as a separate legal battle over the special prosecutors pay rate is hashed out in court; he was reelected last year.

The six other statewide elected officials (excluding elected judges) did not break the $1 million-dollar mark for their June fundraising. Wayne Christian, who sits on the oil and gas regulating body the Texas Railroad Commission, and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller raised the least cash in this period, bringing in $26,000 and $57,000, respectively.

Christian's fellow commissioners Ryan Sitton and Christi Craddick raised more than half a million each and Comptroller Glenn Hegar brought in $830,000. He had the third-largest war chest among his peers as of June 30, boasting $6.3 million in the bank.

Manny Garcia, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said the state is increasingly up for grabs as the GOP's long chokehold loosens.

"Texas is the biggest battleground state in the country, and Republicans are going to need every cent they get," Garcia said in a written statement.

He dismissed Abbott's record-setting haul as the product of GOP subservience to "billionaire donors, special interests, political action committees, and big corporations."

As for Abbott, "it's easy to get high fundraising numbers when you're auctioning off state government to the highest bidder," Garcia said.

Many of the same GOP megadonors gave to Texas' top Republican leaders. Baylor University booster Drayton McLane, Jr. and oil and gas mogul Syed Javaid Anwar were top contributors. So too were Buc-ee's owner Don Wasek and Ryan Texas PAC, a Dallas-based tax firm that helps major corporations secure tax breaks.

Abbott and Paxton shared the same top donor: Michael Porter, a western Hill Country ranch owner who has become a major Republican donor in recent years. Porter and his wife Mary, whose late father Frank Batten Sr. was founder of the Weather Channel, gave Abbott $1 million -- as they did in 2017.

Late last month, Anwar of Midland, whom Abbott named to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, also gave the governor $1 million. Abbott pocketed 36 checks for six figures each in the reporting period, including these from Dallas business heavies: $400,000 from former telecommunications executive and horse breeder Kenny Troutt; and $250,000 each from pipeline mogul Kelcy Warren, who sits on the Parks and Wildlife Commission, and investors Ray Hunt and Robert Rowling.

Abbott, a former state district judge in Houston and justice on the Texas Supreme Court, aggressively raised money during his three terms as state attorney general. That helped discourage opposition, both as Abbott sought re-election and then sought the governorship after his predecessor, former Gov. Rick Perry, chose not to run in 2014.

In June 2015, right after his first session as governor, Abbott raised $8.3 million, bringing his cash total then to $17.8 million. With continuous fundraising in his first term, the cash on hand increased to $43.3 million by the start of last year.

With his current balance of $26.3 million, Abbott clearly is on track to raise at least as much for reelection in 2022. He has given no indication he won't seek a third term.

In January, Dave Carney of New Hampshire, his chief political adviser, told The Dallas Morning News that Abbott, unlike Perry, is not interested in national politics.

"He wants reelection," Carney said, adding that Abbott has turned down speaking invitations outside the state. "Obviously there's no announcement yet, but he's looking for reelection."

Computational journalist Ariana Giorgi in Dallas contributed to this report.