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The 2026 Texas Senate race is heating up on the Democratic side, with State Representative James Talarico managing to raise over $6 million. That stands in contrast to his closest competitor, former Congressman Colin Allred, who's raised just $4 million.
It's worth noting that Talarico raised this massive amount of money in just a few weeks. Political consultant Bill Miller addressed the surge in Talarico's funding, saying, "The more important question, besides acknowledging the fact that it's a lot of money and a good job done, is 'Where's it coming from?' That will tell you some stuff as well."
According to Talarico's campaign, it's coming primarily from donations averaging only $100, something that Miller isn't quite sold on. He said, "I'm not saying he hasn't raised $6 million, and I'm not saying he hasn't had a lot of hundred-dollar donations. I'm just saying that's not how you get six million bucks in a short amount of time."
He went on to say that the real key to victory in this race isn't going to be how much money Talarico can raise, but rather how well he presents himself on the issues. He said, "He's a state representative. It's a big jump from where he is to where he wants to be. To get there, you have to be able to explain yourself on national issues. That's not something he's had to do."