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Talarico Leads Texas Senate Race in Cook Report Poll

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico leads the Texas Senate race in a Cook Report poll released Oct. 21.
James Talarico has raised over $134 million, including $60 million from July-September, and held $14.6 million cash on Sep. 30.
Outside groups have spent about $230 million for Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton versus $94 million for Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
At an Oct. 27 rally in El Paso, James Talarico criticized a $200 million Elon Musk donation to Paxton’s campaign.

History

By a 5-4 Supreme Court decision in June 2010, Citizens United v. FEC removed corporate limits on independent political spending, paving the way for super-PACs that poured over $1 billion into the 2016 election. Decades later, Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico has raised $134 million and Attorney General Ken Paxton $230 million, echoing the post-Citizens United fundraising surge.

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By a 5-4 Supreme Court decision in June 2010, Citizens United v. FEC removed corporate limits on independent political spending, paving the way for super-PACs that poured over $1 billion into the 2016 election. Decades later, Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico has raised $134 million and Attorney General Ken Paxton $230 million, echoing the post-Citizens United fundraising surge.

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