Texas Democratic Senate candidate says $64 million quarter set a fundraising record

James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, said his campaign raised $64 million from July through September. The campaign said the amount is the largest third-quarter haul for any Senate candidate.

The campaign announced the figure Thursday, the day its October quarterly report is due at the Federal Election Commission. Electronic filings must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Once filed, the report will reveal the campaign's expenditures and remaining cash reserves, according to CNBC. NBC News said it could not independently confirm the fundraising details beyond those shared by the campaigns.

The $64 million would top the $57 million that South Carolina Democrat Jaime Harrison raised in the same quarter of 2020. Talarico's campaign said it has raised more than $134 million since launching last year, with more than 1.3 million donors. It said 97% of contributions were small-dollar donations.

"Grassroots contributors from across Texas are coming together to end billionaire control over our politics and bring down costs for working families," Talarico said in a statement.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Republican nominee, disclosed earlier this month that his campaign, along with two affiliated fundraising committees, had together pulled in $18 million during the quarter, according to CNBC. The Talarico total also exceeds the third-quarter hauls of past Texas Democrats, according to the Texas Tribune. Beto O'Rourke raised about $38 million in 2018, and Colin Allred raised $30 million in 2024.

According to CNBC, which cited the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, Republican outside groups had poured more than $175 million into the race after Sept. 1, either backing Paxton or targeting Talarico. CNBC also reported, per AdImpact, that total political advertising in the race has passed $500 million.

Elon Musk, the Tesla $TSLA and SpaceX CEO, has directed more than $276 million to Republican groups since July, including $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, which supports Paxton's Senate bid. His America PAC has spent about $9.4 million attacking Talarico and $1.8 million supporting Paxton.

Under federal law, candidates pay less for broadcast airtime than super PACs do. That cost advantage means each campaign dollar stretches further when purchasing television advertising than the same dollar spent by an outside group.

In the FiftyPlusOne polling average, Talarico holds a 3.3-point edge over Paxton, 48.5% to 45.2%. Texas Democrats have been shut out of statewide office since 1994, and the last time the party captured a U.S. Senate seat in the state was 1988.