James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, has wrapped up a record-breaking fundraising quarter in his bid to win in a state that President Trump won impressively in 2024.
Mr. Talarico’s campaign announced Thursday that it raised $64 million in the third quarter of 2026, bringing its total since September 2025 to more than $134.3 million.
The July-September figure sets the record for the most money ever raised by a Senate candidate in a quarter.
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It breaks the previous record set by 2020 Democratic South Carolina Senate candidate Jaime Harrison, who ultimately lost to Lindsey Graham.
The Talarico haul exceeds the $18 million raised by his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
It was also Mr. Paxton’s most successful fundraising quarter, as he raised more than in the previous two quarters combined.
In the bigger picture, Democrats are being outspent by conservative groups in Texas.
A Tuesday analysis from AdImpact, an advertising tracker, showed $501 million had been spent on ads in the Senate race.
Of that, $367 million went to pro-Republican ads, with $133 million to pro-Democratic ads.
Groups aligned with Mr. Trump, Elon Musk and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, have invested heavily in the race.
However, candidates get more value per dollar from ad spending than outside groups, because federal law gives them access to preferential ad rates.
The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, despite Texas having favored Mr. Trump by nearly 14 points in 2024.
Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988.
Mr. Paxton defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in the primary to secure the nomination.
Throughout the primary and general election campaigns, Mr. Paxton has faced negative ads alleging corruption during his tenure as attorney general.
The state House impeached him in 2023 on corruption charges, but the state Senate acquitted him.
Many Republican attack ads against Mr. Talarico have focused on his history of such statements as “God is nonbinary,” that there are six biological sexes, and that capitalism must be dismantled.
The election is Nov. 3.
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