A bruising Texas Senate contest has turned into a fight over money, with Ken Paxton accusing James Talarico of relying heavily on out-of-state donors and both campaigns reporting vastly different fundraising totals. The back-and-forth centers on where the dollars come from, which counties are donating the most, and polls that show a tight race across the state.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has openly challenged Democrat James Talarico over the origins of his campaign cash, arguing the race is being bankrolled by coastal liberal donors rather than Texans. Paxton pointed to a surge of contributions from places like California and New York to explain Talarico’s fundraising edge. This is a classic flag-raising moment for Republicans who want to keep Senate power in-state and in conservative hands.
On national television Paxton said Talarico has “a lot of money coming in from California” and that “California is trying to elect their third senator.” He doubled down with an estimate: “I would bet at least a 3rd or more of his money, maybe half, has come in from the state of California.” Paxton added, “And so that’s another reason that we see James Talarico doing so well. It’s California, New York, Chicago, not as much Texas.”
The fundraising math supports the point that Talarico’s financial advantage comes largely from outside Texas. Reporting shows that nearly half of Talarico’s backing comes from California, New York, and other states, while Paxton’s donors are far more Texas-centric. For conservatives, that split reinforces a message: this isn’t just a homegrown contest, it’s a nationalized effort to shift a Senate seat.
Contributions to the candidates were concentrated near the state’s largest cities. Talarico received the most from Travis County, where donors who contributed over $200 sent a combined $3.8 million to his campaign as of June 30, 2026. Paxton’s largest pull came from Dallas County where he raised about $1 million as of May 6, 2026, though Talarico still managed to outraise him there too.
Of the itemized contributions that went to Talarico and Paxton, about 55% and 83% came from within Texas, respectively. Of their out-of-state contributions, Talarico saw the most come from California and New York while Paxton received the most from Florida and Utah.
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Talarico’s campaign has clearly benefited from blue-state donors and heavier outside investment, allowing him to outraise Paxton in recent quarters. The two campaigns reported $31.6 million for Talarico and $9.3 million for Paxton in their last quarterly FEC filings, a gap that changes how each side plans media buys and field operations. Since early 2025 the cumulative totals are stark: $72.0 million for Talarico versus $16.8 million for Paxton’s campaign efforts.
Beyond the raw totals, the spending landscape is complicated by outside groups attacking Paxton even as some conservative super PACs spend on ads targeting him. One of the larger ad spenders running attacks on Paxton is a pro-Cornyn super PAC, which highlights friction inside the broader GOP coalition. That dynamic matters to voters who want a unified front against nationalized Democratic spending.
Despite the funding gap and heavy out-of-state support for Talarico, the race is competitive and could swing either way. Poll averages show a tight contest, with one aggregation putting Talarico at 47.3 percent and Paxton at 44.9 percent, while another average lists Talarico at 45.4 percent to Paxton’s 42.8 percent. Those margins keep both campaigns working hard on turnout and persuasion across urban and rural Texas.
For Republicans, the fight isn’t just about money but about momentum and message discipline: counter a flood of outside cash with strong in-state outreach and clear contrasts on issues. Paxton’s spotlight on where the money comes from is an attempt to turn fundraising into a political argument about who truly represents Texas voters. The contest is likely to stay tight as both sides pour resources into the final stretch.
