TEXAS — Democrat Beto O'Rourke says he raised more than $2 million in the first 24 hours of his campaign. His team called it a “record for any Democratic gubernatorial candidate for the first 24 hours” of a campaign.

The haul came from more than 20,000 donors, according to his campaign.

“Texans across the state are demanding change,” O’Rourke said in a statement. “We entered this race because we believe in a bigger vision for Texas. I’m honored to have the support of tens of thousands of Texans to help us build the largest people-powered campaign that Texas has ever seen.

O'Rourke is known for being a powerful fundraiser, having raised millions during his failed U.S. Senate bid against Ted Cruz. But he still faces an uphill climb against Gov. Greg Abbott, who last reported his campaign war chest stood at about $55 million.

O’Rourke launched his campaign Monday and is spending the first days of the race campaigning along the Texas-Mexico border.

Meanwhile, Abbott's campaign announced Wednesday it's putting up billboards across the state criticizing O'Rourke and President Joe Biden. Text over Biden’s face reads: “Wrong for America,” while the image over O’Rourke’s face is covered by text that reads: “Wrong for Texas.”

“As Beto O’Rourke begins his campaign to reinvent himself, he won’t be able to run from his extreme liberal policies that are wrong for Texas,” Texans for Greg Abbott’s communications director Mark Miner said in a statement. “The Beto-Biden agenda of open borders, defunding the police, and killing oil and gas jobs is divisive and will move Texas in the wrong direction.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article claimed that Mr. O'Rourke's fundraising record was for Texas only, when, in fact, it was a record for the entire country. (Nov. 17, 2021)