Show Us the Money

Ruth Torres, a Democrat running for Texas's 5th U.S. House District, raised $20,748 in 2026 congressional fundraising in Texas so far. Nearly all of that money came from a $20,000 personal loan Torres made to her own campaign. Individual donors contributed just $748. She received no money from political action committees, no party contributions, and no transfers from other committees.

Torres's campaign has drawn no PAC or organizational money in the 2026 cycle. Contributions from other political committees stood at zero. The campaign also reported no party support. Torres ended the most recent reporting period with $4,035 in cash on hand, while carrying $38,040 in total debt, a figure that includes unpaid loans from prior cycles.

Contributors

Torres's reliance on personal loans extends back through her previous campaigns. She received no PAC or party money in the 2022 cycle. In 2024, her campaign raised $39,343, her largest haul to date, but still relied on $15,300 in loans and ended the year with just $363 in the bank. That pattern of minimal outside support has continued into 2026, as Texas House candidates' fundraising shows wide disparities across the field.

Candidate Rankings

Among all candidates running for federal office in Texas in the 2026 cycle, Torres's fundraising is modest. Texas candidates collectively raised more than $903.7 million in the 2026 cycle. Torres's $20,748 represents a tiny fraction of that total. The top fundraisers in the state have raised millions of dollars each, far outpacing Torres's totals. James Talarico raised $40,284,109, Jasmine Crockett raised $11,092,295, and John Cornyn raised $7,917,429. Her cash-on-hand position of roughly $4,000 leaves her with limited resources heading into the campaign's final stretch.

Incumbents vs. Challengers

Across Texas's federal races, incumbents are raising far more money than challengers and open-seat candidates. Candidates with incumbent status consistently report higher cash-on-hand totals and broader donor bases than non-incumbents like Torres, who is running as a challenger in a district held by the opposing party.

Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of May 6, 2026.

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