Democratic Texas Senate candidate state Rep. James Talarico announced last week that his campaign raised over $30 million in the second quarter of 2026.
This is more than triple the amount raised by his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who recently reported raising about $9 million in the same time period. The two candidates are locked in a dead heat as the midterm elections draw closer.
Talarico’s haul marks a record for any U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year. The Texas Tribune reported that 97 percent of his donations were $100 or less, with teachers listed as the most common donor.
BREAKING: Our grassroots campaign raised $30 million since April.
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) July 8, 2026
Over 780,000 individuals have donated to this movement.
We’re uniting Texans onto one team to take on this broken, corrupt political system. pic.twitter.com/sM6CIo4J9R
“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.”
On the other hand, Paxton’s campaign said the $9 million marked a personal best for the candidate. It is also the largest quarterly total reported by any non-incumbent Republican Senate candidate this cycle. A significant portion of the donations came in after he won his May runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton’s allies have stepped up their offensive against Talarico in recent days. During a July appearance on Sean Hannity’s radio show, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called him “radical” and “extreme” and pointed to his past comments about gender ideology. He is on the record as having claimed God is nonbinary and that there are six recognized sexes.
I’m honored to have the support of the @TSCRA , especially as TX ranchers face threats like the New World screwworm. I’ll keep fighting to protect private property rights, defend our agricultural industry, and stand with the hardworking men and women who feed and fuel America. pic.twitter.com/xnAOG34JCC
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) July 9, 2026
Republicans have also hammered Talarico over his radical stances on guns, LGBTQ matters, and taxes. The candidate has tried walking back some of his more absurd comments over the past few weeks.
Conversely, Talarico and his allies have gone after Paxton on his long list of ethics scandals and a child sex abuse case. The candidate demanded that Paxton’s office release all files related to former attorney Adam Hoffman, who was accused of sexually abusing an eight-year-old boy for years. After a mistrial, Paxton’s office reached a plea deal that reduced the charges, which resulted in the defendant serving about 30 days in prison.
A June poll from the University of Texas found Paxton leading Talarico 43 percent to 42 percent. Another poll from Siena College conducted during a similar time period showed the two candidates dead even at 47 percent.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member