Gov. Greg Abbott attends a Sept. 4 campaign event in Beeville. Credit: Instagram / governorabbott

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign has churned through $141 million this year to end up running neck-and-neck in the polls with Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat who’s largely run on a shoestring budget, the latest campaign filings show.

Abbott, a Republican seeking a historic fourth term in office, had only $17 million in cash on hand at the end of the most recent reporting period. That’s a far cry from the $106 million war chest he had at the start of the current election cycle.

Of his total spending this year, $74.1 million came during the latest reporting period, which ran July 1 to Sept. 24, documents show.

Despite his hefty spending, polls released this month, including a New York Times-Siena College survey, show Hinojosa, an Austin state representative, with a narrow lead. Others show the pair nearly tied.

That comes even though Hinojosa’s campaign spent a meager $17 million in her bid for the governorship, according to the Washington Post.

The closeness of the race isn’t lost on Abbott, who told backers at a fundraiser over the weekend that he’s “having trouble sleeping at night knowing what’s at stake in this election.”

Abbott told reporters this week that he also won’t be able to attend President Donald Trump’s rally Wednesday in San Antonio because of a scheduling conflict.

Some political observers speculate Abbott is trying to save face by not campaigning with Trump, whose approval rating is hanging around 37%. That ties George W. Bush in 2006 for the worst presidential approval rating heading into a midterm election. ​

Texas Democratic Party Spokesman Jacob Long said Abbott’s in ability to pull ahead of Hinojosa even though he’s massively outspent her shows Texans are ready for change.

“They know that four more years of Greg Abbott means more data centers, fewer public schools, and higher property taxes,” Long said in a statement. “He can duck debates, flood the airwaves, and turn his back on Trump all he wants, but no amount of money can change his record of selling out Texas to his billionaire donors.”

Texas politics is a mess. We make it a readable mess.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...