Talarico raises $64 million in third quarter, more than any U.S. Senate candidate on record

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune
October 15, 2026

WASHINGTON — James Talarico raised $64 million in the third quarter of the year, his campaign announced — the largest fundraising haul on record for a U.S. Senate candidate in any state for this period.

Talarico, an Austin state representative, has been a prolific fundraiser throughout the race. His latest haul is more than triple what his opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, raised across the same period. Paxton brought in $18 million, by far the Republican’s best quarter, from July through September.

The Democrat has now raised over $134 million since launching his campaign over a year ago, a staggering sum that has allowed his campaign to withstand a flood of Republican outside advertising money this fall.

“Grassroots contributors from across Texas are coming together to end billionaire control over our politics and bring down costs for working families,” Talarico said. “Thanks to the support of everyday Texans, this people-powered movement is going to change this broken, corrupt political system.”

The vast majority of donations, per Talarico’s campaign, are from small-dollar donors. Ninety-seven percent of the third-quarter donations to Talarico were for less than $100, his campaign said in a news release. The Democrat did not reveal how much cash he had left by the end of the period, a detail that will be included in his campaign finance report due to the Federal Election Commission by midnight.

Talarico’s haul far outpaces those of past Texas Democrats who were themselves strong fundraisers. 2024 Senate candidate Colin Allred raised $30 million in the same quarter last cycle, while Beto O’Rourke brought in $38 million across the same period in 2018.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.