Talarico’s $13M Haul Signals Fierce Fight for Texas Senate Seat

James Talarico, a Texas state representative, has raised more than $13 million since announcing his Senate campaign in September, including $6.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, his team reported Friday, according to The Hill.

The campaign said the funds come from over 215,000 individual donors, with nearly all contributions capped at $100 and no corporate PAC money accepted. Donations have poured in from every state and 240 of Texas’s 254 counties.

“With the help of more than 215,000 neighbors, we are building a campaign to win the primary, win the general, and deliver for working people across Texas,” Talarico said.

Talarico is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. He faces Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who entered the race in December and has not yet released her fourth-quarter fundraising figures. Her later start, however, limited her time to raise funds last quarter.

The fundraising boost underscores a potentially heated Democratic primary in a state Democrats hope to flip. 

On the Republican side, Cornyn is contending with challengers Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Recent polling suggests both primaries may head to runoffs: a Decision Desk HQ average shows Paxton at 35 percent, Cornyn at 32 percent, and Hunt at 20 percent, while an early poll from Texas Southern University indicated Crockett leading Talarico 51 percent to 43 percent.