James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Texas U.S. Senate, raised a record $30 million from April through June, more than triple the $9 million brought in by his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, his campaign announced Wednesday. The haul marks a record total for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year, according to Talarico’s campaign.
The Austin Democrat has now raised more than $70 million from over 1.5 million donations, including 780,000 individual contributors, since launching his bid in September 2025. In the first three months of 2026, Talarico raised $27 million, more than any other federal candidate in the country over that stretch, according to The Texas Tribune.
Talarico’s second-quarter haul far exceeds those of Texas’ recent Democratic Senate nominees. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke raised $10.4 million in the same period in 2018, while former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred raised $10.5 million from April through June 2024. Talarico’s Q2 total is nearly three times what O’Rourke raised in the same period eight years earlier.
Talarico has sworn off corporate PAC donations, and his campaign said 97 percent of donations to his bid were $100 or less. The most common profession among his contributors was teachers, according to the campaign. “I’m honored to stand alongside more than 780,000 neighbors who are tired of being divided into teams — red versus blue, left versus right, rural versus urban,” Talarico said in a statement. “We are uniting Texans onto one team to change this broken, corrupt political system and bring down costs for working families.”
Talarico’s mammoth fundraising has boosted Democratic hopes that he could become the first Democrat to flip a Texas Senate seat blue since 1988, particularly against Paxton, who has historically posted relatively weak fundraising totals. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling could reshape the race’s financial landscape. In late June, the Supreme Court struck down limits on coordinated spending between national political parties and their candidates, allowing Paxton to tap into the national GOP’s deep coffers.
Recent public polling has found the race essentially tied, even as Talarico maintains his cash advantage. Both campaigns have yet to file their second-quarter reports due July 15 to the Federal Election Commission, which will identify their donors and cash on hand. The race is on pace to set records for campaign spending overall, with the two candidates’ combined resources reflecting the national importance of Texas as a battleground state.
Sources
- The Texas Tribune — confirmed Talarico’s $30 million Q2 haul as a record for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year, Paxton’s $9 million Q2 total, Talarico’s $70 million total from 1.5 million donations and 780,000 individual contributors, $27 million Q1 haul, 97 percent of donations under $100, sworn-off corporate PACs, teacher donor base, Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending, and polling showing the race tied.
- Houston Public Media — confirmed Talarico’s $30 million Q2 haul, more than triple Paxton’s sum, and Supreme Court ruling allowing national Republican committees to spend in coordination with GOP candidates.
- OpenSecrets — confirmed Talarico’s $27 million Q1 2026 fundraising and national donor base expansion.
