Republican Ken Paxton says James Talarico ‘would be California’s third senator’ if elected, as data shows nearly half of the Democrat’s campaign funds came from out of state
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says Democratic state Rep. James Talarico “would be California’s third Senator” if elected in November.
Paxton said, “It’s no surprise that James Talarico is being bankrolled by out-of-state donors in New York and California.”
Federal Election Commission (FEC) data shows that 45 percent of donations to Talarico’s campaign came from out of state, with California the largest contributor. For Paxton, 17.1 percent of donations came from outside Texas.
What Paxton said and where
Paxton also said, “While my campaign is supported by hardworking Texans, Talarico is a fraud who stands for nothing but his own radical agenda and the special interests funding it.”
He added: “California already has two senators.”
The claim is not new. During an appearance on Fox News, Paxton said Talarico has “a lot of money coming in from California” and that California is trying to elect a third senator.
Paxton’s campaign also promoted the claim on social media, saying nearly half of Talarico’s funding came from Hollywood elites and liberal California billionaires. That characterization came from the campaign and was not sourced to FEC data.
What the FEC figures show
Talarico’s campaign raised $31,853,507, while Paxton’s received $9,147,100.
Of Talarico’s total, $17,529,508, or 55 percent, came from Texas. His largest sources outside Texas were:
- California: $3,579,701
- New York: $1,482,533
- Massachusetts: $918,007
- Washington state: $728,018
- Illinois: $636,625
Paxton received 82.9 percent of his money from Texas. His largest out-of-state sources were:
- Florida: $174,463
- California: $135,492
- Utah: $134,597
- Arizona: $69,376
- Pennsylvania: $67,966
About 55 percent of Talarico’s itemized contributions and 83 percent of Paxton’s came from within Texas. Talarico’s out-of-state money came primarily from California and New York, while Paxton’s came mostly from Florida and Utah.
The figures cover only donations that campaigns are required to itemize.
The fundraising gap
The gap between the two campaigns has remained substantial. Talarico raised $30 million compared with $9 million for Paxton.
Talarico had more than $21.5 million on hand compared with less than $1.8 million for Paxton.
The Talarico campaign has said it does not accept corporate PAC money and relies on small donations. In February, it said it had received more than 500,000 donations from over 290,000 individuals since launching in September 2025.
Outside money changes the picture
FEC figures do not include super PAC spending, which is not subject to the $3,500-per-election individual contribution limit that applies to candidate campaigns.
Texas PAC, a Republican-aligned group affiliated with the Senate Leadership Fund, spent more than $51 million supporting Paxton. America PAC, supported by Elon Musk, spent $2.6 million on ads backing Paxton, while MAGA Inc. reserved $10 million in Texas advertising and later gave Paxton’s campaign another $5 million.
The Senate Leadership Fund later increased its commitment. The group was raising its Texas ad buy to $100 million and had already spent nearly $70 million.
Texas PAC alone spent nearly $66 million in September, compared with about $22 million for Talarico.
Paxton’s campaign received $53.8 million from Texas PAC, according to an FEC filing.
Alex Latcham, head of the Senate Leadership Fund, said, “The Republican Party is united to elect Ken Paxton and keep Texas red in November.”
How Paxton became the nominee
Paxton’s path to the general election was contentious. He defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in a May primary runoff.
In 2023, the Republican-controlled Texas House impeached Paxton and the state Senate later acquitted him.
Cornyn has kept his distance since the runoff. He said he would not campaign for Paxton and has raised money for competitive races in states including New Hampshire, Michigan and Alaska. In the same interview, Cornyn said he remains committed to supporting the Republican ticket in Texas.
The political stakes
Democrats are seeking to win control of the Senate in November, which would affect the legislative environment during the final two years of President Donald Trump‘s term.
Texas last elected a Democratic senator in 1988, making the race a significant contest for both parties.
Polling has shown a close race. An Emerson College survey of 1,000 Texas voters conducted September 12-14 found Talarico at 47 percent and Paxton at 46 percent, with a three-point margin of error.
An AARP poll of 895 likely voters conducted August 30 to September 1 showed Talarico ahead by four points, with a 3.3-point margin of error.
Talarico leads in all eight major pollsters covering the race, although several of those leads fall within the margin of error.