Talarico More Than Triples Republican Ken Paxton’s Fundraising Haul as Republicans Warns Democrat Has ‘Real Chance’
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico raised more than $30 million during the second quarter of 2026, giving his campaign a massive financial boost as new polling and a blunt warning from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz add to signs that Texas could be headed for one of its most competitive statewide races in years.
Talarico’s campaign announced Wednesday that the Austin state representative brought in more than three times the amount raised by Republican nominee and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during the same period. The campaign called the haul a record for a U.S. Senate candidate during the second quarter of an election year.
The latest numbers bring Talarico’s total fundraising since launching his Senate bid last September to more than $70 million. His campaign said the money came through more than 1.5 million donations from 780,000 individual contributors, with 97% of contributions totaling $100 or less.
Teachers were the most common profession among his donors, according to the campaign. Talarico, a former public school teacher, has also pledged not to accept corporate PAC money.
The figures remain campaign-reported totals until official second-quarter reports are filed with the Federal Election Commission by the July 15 deadline. The Texas Tribune reported the fundraising announcements Wednesday.
Talarico More Than Triples Paxton’s Quarterly Haul
Paxton’s campaign reported raising more than $9 million during the same quarter, calling it the strongest fundraising period of his political career and the largest announced haul for a non-incumbent Republican Senate candidate this cycle.
Still, the gap leaves Talarico with a clear fundraising advantage as both candidates prepare for a general election that could force national parties to spend heavily in a state Republicans have long counted on.
Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1988, but recent polling suggests the contest is far from settled. A June University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll found Paxton at 43% and Talarico at 42%, a statistically indistinguishable difference.
The increasingly competitive picture is now drawing unusually candid warnings from prominent Texas Republicans.
Ted Cruz Says Talarico Has a ‘Real Chance’
Calling into Sean Hannity’s radio show Wednesday while Gov. Greg Abbott served as guest host, Cruz warned Republicans not to underestimate Talarico.
“Unfortunately, I do think he has a real chance,” Cruz said. “I think this is a real race. I think it’s going to be close. I think we’re going to win, I think we’re going to keep Texas red, but the polling right now shows this is a 1- or 2-point race.”
Cruz also described Talarico as “charming,” arguing that the Democrat could appeal to voters who are not closely following the policy differences between the candidates. The warning carries particular weight from Cruz, who survived a nationally watched 2018 Senate challenge from Democrat Beto O’Rourke by fewer than 3 percentage points.
Talarico’s fundraising strength and tight polling have helped fuel Democratic hopes of breaking a nearly four-decade losing streak in Texas Senate races. But his financial advantage may not tell the entire story.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down limits on coordinated spending between political parties and their candidates, potentially allowing national Republican organizations with deep reserves to work more closely with Paxton’s campaign. That could help offset some of Talarico’s direct fundraising edge as the race intensifies.
National Republicans are already showing signs of consolidating behind Paxton. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to appear at a fundraiser for him later this month after Republican leaders previously backed U.S. Sen. John Cornyn during the GOP primary fight.
With Talarico posting record campaign numbers, Paxton drawing support from national Republicans and Cruz publicly conceding that Democrats have a legitimate opportunity, the battle for Texas is increasingly looking less like a long-shot challenge and more like a race both parties may have to fight — and fund — to the finish.
