Democratic Texas Senate nominee James Talarico raised $64 million from July through September, his campaign said, setting a record for a third-quarter haul by a U.S. The fundraising brought his total since entering the race to more than $134 million and gave him a lead of more than three to one over Republican nominee Ken Paxton, who reported raising $18 million during the same period.
Talarico, an Austin state representative, said 97% of his contributions were below $100. He described the fundraising as a grassroots response to what he called billionaire influence in politics and rising costs for working families.
The quarter surpassed previous major fundraising totals by Texas Democrats.
Paxton’s $18 million was his strongest quarter, but Republican-aligned groups have sought to compensate for the gap with extensive outside spending. Democratic groups have also increased spending, while Talarico’s campaign had booked about $35 million in advertising for the final two months of the race.
The contest has become competitive despite Texas’ long Republican record in statewide elections. President Donald Trump backed Paxton in the primary, where Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, and Trump-aligned groups later began spending heavily to support the Republican nominee. Talarico has held a narrow polling advantage in several recent surveys, but the financial figures and outside spending show that the race remains heavily contested.
With early voting scheduled to begin Monday, Paxton has announced a two-week bus tour that will start near Fort Worth and end at the Alamo on the eve of Election Day. Talarico appeared at a televised town hall this week, while Paxton declined the invitation to participate.