James Talarico Raises Record $30 Million in Q2, Triple Rival Ken Paxton's Fundraising

State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas, announced that his campaign raised $30 million between April and June, more than three times the $9 million raised by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the same period. The haul sets a record for any Senate candidate in a second‑quarter election year and brings Talarico's total contributions to over $70 million from more than 1.5 million donations, including about 780,000 individual contributors. Roughly 97 % of those donations were $100 or less, with teachers identified as the most common profession among donors, and the campaign reports receiving no corporate PAC money.

Paxton’s fundraising, while a personal best for a non‑incumbent GOP Senate candidate, still trails Talarico’s totals. Polling released after the announcements shows the race essentially tied heading into the Nov. 3 election, raising the prospect that the seat could flip Democratic for the first time since 1988. Analysts note that a recent Supreme Court decision could allow Paxton to tap national GOP funds, potentially narrowing the fundraising gap. The record‑breaking contributions underscore the high stakes of the contest and its importance to both parties' efforts to shape control of the U.S. Senate.