James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, is raising lots of cash and giving Democrats hope that they can capture statewide office for the first time since the 1990s

James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas, has achieved record-breaking fundraising, accumulating over $70 million since launching his campaign in September. This includes $27 million in the first quarter of 2026 and an additional $30 million in the second quarter, making his second-quarter haul the largest ever for a Senate candidate in an election year. His campaign has received contributions from over 1.5 million donations and 780,000 individual contributors, with 97% of donations being $100 or less, and he has sworn off corporate PAC donations.

Talarico's fundraising significantly surpasses that of his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Talarico raised more than triple Paxton's sum in the second quarter, with Paxton bringing in approximately $9 million. Overall, Talarico has raised $72 million compared to Paxton's $16.8 million since the start of 2025. Talarico also ended June with $23.3 million on hand, more than three times Paxton's war chest, despite Paxton's ability to tap into national GOP funds following a recent Supreme Court ruling.

This unprecedented financial backing has fueled Democratic hopes of Talarico becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since 1988. Recent polling indicates the race is essentially tied, with Talarico and Paxton each holding 47% support among 656 respondents in a New York Times and Siena University poll. Talarico leads among Hispanic voters by 61%, independents by 27 points, and women by 18 points.

While Talarico's fundraising far exceeds previous Democratic Senate candidates in Texas, such as Beto O'Rourke ($10.4 million in the same period in 2018) and Colin Allred ($7.9 million in 2024), historically, strong Democratic fundraising in Texas has not guaranteed a win. O'Rourke and Allred both lost despite out-raising their Republican opponents. However, Talarico's campaign manager, Seth Krasne, emphasized the necessity of these resources to compete in Texas's expensive media markets and counter the influence of "Big Money."