Davis reported receiving funds from nearly 24,000 individual donors. Davis raised $1.2M after filibuster

Rising Democratic star Wendy Davis continues to be a major grassroots fundraising force.

According to campaign finance reports filed this week, the Texas state senator netted $1.2 million in the six weeks following her June filibuster against an abortion bill being considered by the Texas legislature.


The 13-hour marathon filibuster and its aftermath — which drew national media attention — immediately catapulted the 50 year-old lawmaker into the spotlight and prompted calls from supporters for a statewide run.

( QUIZ: Do you know Wendy Davis?)

According to a POLITICO analysis of her campaign finance report, Davis raised most of her funds from small donors. She reported almost 24,000 individual donors — with an average donation to her campaign of about $52. About 60 percent of her funds came from inside the Lone Star State.

Her largest individual donor was Fort Worth investor and businessman Sid Bass, who gave $100,000.

The Texas-based group Annie’s List also contributed $50,000 to her state senate campaign. The group launched a grassroots effort earlier this month to encourage Davis to run for the governorship.

( PHOTOS: Wendy Davis’s filibuster)

Most of her largest donors are in-state. Of the 10 individual donors who gave more than $10,000 to her campaign, only one was out of state.

Other big donors to her campaign include Houston attorney Laura Arnold, oil executive Lee Fikes and Marguerite Hoffman, wife of the businessman and National Lampoon co-founder Robert Hoffman. All gave $10,000 to her efforts.

Davis has done some out-of-state fundraising as well, with a late July swing into Washington, D.C., for a small donor event.

Davis said she will decide whether she wants to run for the open Texas governship next month, where Texas attorney general Greg Abbott has amassed more than $20 million. If she passes on the governor’s race, she has vowed to run for reelection as a state senator.

News of Davis’ fundraising numbers was first reported by several Texas media outlets.