Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) raked in $21 million in the third fundraising quarter of 2024, he announced Monday.

Cruz’s team said in a statement that the total includes money raised by his reelection campaign, political action committee and joint fundraising committee. The second-term senator has roughly $16.2 million in cash on hand.

He is facing off with Rep. Colin Allred (Texas), who has emerged as one of the best funded Democratic candidates this cycle, in a battle with increasingly narrow margins.

According to Cruz’s campaign, he received 212,000 unique contributions with an average contribution of $38, including from 101,000 first-time donors. 

“At the final stretch of the campaign, enthusiasm for Senator Cruz is tangible in every corner of the Lone Star State,” said Nick Maddux, a Cruz spokesperson. “Texans know what is at stake. The future of our State and Nation is on the line and supporters are geared up and ready to re-elect Senator Cruz and Keep Texas, Texas.”

“Senator Cruz will crisscross the State meeting and rallying with supporters to turn out the vote and ensure victory in November,” he added.

Cruz is considered a slight favorite to return to Washington, according to most political prognosticators. But the race is the toughest of any of the incumbent Senate Republicans, who have a favorable map this cycle. 

Cruz is getting a stiff challenge from Allred, a three-term House member and former NFL player. The Cook Political Report recently shifted the race in the Democratic direction, moving it from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.” 

The most recent The Hill/Emerson College poll released in late September showed Cruz leading by 4 percentage points. 

Allred has yet to announce his third quarter totals, but he has consistently been a top Democratic fundraiser. He raised more than $10.5 million in the second quarter and had brought in more than $38 million for the entirety of his campaign by the end of June. 

Federal Election Commission reports are due by Oct. 15.