In a remarkable display of grassroots support, State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat from Austin, has raised an astonishing $27 million in the first three months of 2026 as he campaigns to turn Texas blue. This impressive total marks the largest amount ever raised by a Senate candidate in any state during the initial quarter of an election year, according to his campaign.
Talarico’s fundraising prowess has outstripped other notable Democrats in the current election cycle, including Georgia’s Sen. Jon Ossoff, and significantly surpassed the first-quarter totals of former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, and former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola. His ability to generate such substantial support is a hopeful sign for Democrats looking to reclaim a statewide office in Texas for the first time in over 30 years.
Historically, Texas has presented challenges for Democratic candidates at the statewide level. Talarico’s fundraising efforts have far surpassed previous Democratic Senate candidates in Texas, including Colin Allred, who raised $9.5 million in the first quarter of 2024, and Beto O’Rourke, who collected $6.7 million in 2018—both of whom ultimately fell short in their bids.
The momentum from this massive fundraising haul is crucial as Talarico aims to combat the uphill battle of winning in a state with 20 media markets, each demanding significant resources for effective campaigning. “Winning in Texas will require unprecedented resources,” stated Seth Krasne, Talarico’s campaign manager. “This grassroots fundraising haul puts our movement in a strong position to spread our message in some of the most expensive media markets in the country. But we can’t take our foot off of the gas.”
During the early months of 2026, Talarico engaged in a competitive primary against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, which contributed significantly to his fundraising achievements. His campaign reports that he has raised over $10 million since the March 3 primary.
With a total fundraising amount exceeding $40 million since he announced his candidacy in September, Talarico has garnered contributions from more than 540,000 individual donors, spanning 246 of Texas’ 254 counties, demonstrating widespread support across the state.
Talarico’s fundraising success continues to outpace his potential Republican opponents as well. Sen. John Cornyn, currently embroiled in a contentious runoff against Attorney General Ken Paxton, reported raising nearly $9 million in the first quarter, with $3.4 million coming in the weeks following the primary. Paxton has not yet revealed his first-quarter fundraising total but has consistently lagged behind Cornyn in previous quarters.
For context, the record for U.S. Senate fundraising in Texas is held by Beto O’Rourke, who achieved a remarkable $38 million in the third quarter of 2018. Talarico’s current momentum positions him as a formidable contender in the 2026 race, as he seeks to make history by being the first Democrat in decades to secure a statewide victory in Texas.
