Story perspectives

Talarico Raises Record $64M in Q3 Texas Senate Race

By Drooid · Oct 19, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

James Talarico raised $64 million in Q3, a Senate-candidate record.
Ken Paxton raised $18 million in Q3, roughly one-third of Talarico’s total.
Texas Senate race advertising spending exceeds $500 million, with Republicans $368 million and Democrats $132 million.
Real Clear Politics average shows Talarico ahead of Paxton by 2.2 points between Sep 24 and Oct 14.
Elon Musk contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which gave the same amount to a Texas PAC supporting Paxton.

History

Historical Context

The 2010 Supreme Court decisions in Citizens United and SpeechNow.org removed limits on corporate independent spending, creating unlimited-fund Super PACs. Independent expenditures rose from $140 million in 2008 to $4.2 billion by 2024, with the Senate Leadership Fund raising $158 million and Elon Musk contributing large sums. In the 2024 Texas Senate race, Republicans spent $368 million, Democrats $132 million, and total advertising topped $500 million.

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Story summary

James Talarico raised $64 million in Q3, a Senate-candidate record.
Ken Paxton raised $18 million in Q3, roughly one-third of Talarico’s total.
Texas Senate race advertising spending exceeds $500 million, with Republicans $368 million and Democrats $132 million.
Real Clear Politics average shows Talarico ahead of Paxton by 2.2 points between Sep 24 and Oct 14.
Elon Musk contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which gave the same amount to a Texas PAC supporting Paxton.

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