This race is in the 2026 general election.
In the 2026 Texas Senate general election, 51 outside groups spent $221.3M: $5.1M supporting James Talarico (D), $114.3M opposing James Talarico, $83.8M supporting Ken Paxton (R) and $18.1M opposing Ken Paxton.
outside money
- supporting James Talarico (D)
- $5.1M
- opposing James Talarico (D)
- $114.3M
- supporting Ken Paxton (R)
- $83.8M
- opposing Ken Paxton (R)
- $18.1M
Result not in yet
Election day is 3 Nov 2026.
James Talarico
DemocratWaiting for the count
Ken Paxton
RepublicanWaiting for the count
Outside money supporting and opposing each candidate
Both sides on one scaleJames Talarico Democrat
$114.3M$5.1M$5.1M supporting James Talarico · $114.3M opposing James Talarico
Ken Paxton Republican
$18.1M$83.8M$83.8M supporting Ken Paxton · $18.1M opposing Ken Paxton
The candidates
What each candidate’s own campaign raised, beside what outside groups spent supporting and opposing them, and what party committees spent working with the campaign.
James Talarico
Democrat
- Own campaign raised
- $68.6M
- Outside money supporting
- $5.1M
- Outside money opposing
- $114.3M
Talarico for TexasParty spending with the campaign
$3,565
DSCC $3,565
Ken Paxton
Republican
- Own campaign raised
- $9.2M
- Outside money supporting
- $83.8M
- Outside money opposing
- $18.1M
- Campaign money to 30 Jun 2026
Week by week
Outside money each week, supporting and opposing the candidates, all candidates combined.
Week of 5 Oct 2026
Supporting $10,972Opposing $150K
The groups on each side
The biggest outside groups in this race, by what they spent supporting or opposing each candidate.
Spent supporting a candidate
- Texas PACsupporting Ken Paxton$68.8M
- MAGA Inc.supporting Ken Paxton$7.5M
- Lone Star Liberty PACsupporting Ken Paxton$3.6M
- No Going Back PACsupporting Ken Paxton$2.8M
- Lower Costs Nowsupporting James Talarico$1.2M
- Lone Star Rising PACsupporting James Talarico$1.2M
- Evangelicals for a Better Futuresupporting James Talarico$1.0M
- America PACsupporting Ken Paxton$542K
Spent opposing a candidate
- Texas PACopposing James Talarico$64.8M
- MAGA Inc.opposing James Talarico$17.5M
- Lone Star Liberty PACopposing James Talarico$14.1M
- Lone Star Rising PACopposing Ken Paxton$12.6M
- America PACopposing James Talarico$6.0M
- Defend US PACopposing James Talarico$5.6M
- No Going Back PACopposing James Talarico$2.8M
- Texas Foreveropposing Ken Paxton$2.1M
Who’s connected to whom
The groups that spent supporting or opposing the candidates.
- Texas PAC spent supporting Ken Paxton · $68.8M
- Texas PAC spent opposing James Talarico · $64.8M
- MAGA Inc. spent opposing James Talarico · $17.5M
- Lone Star Liberty PAC spent opposing James Talarico · $14.1M
- Lone Star Rising PAC spent opposing Ken Paxton · $12.6M
- MAGA Inc. spent supporting Ken Paxton · $7.5M
- America PAC spent opposing James Talarico · $6.0M
- Defend US PAC spent opposing James Talarico · $5.6M
- Lone Star Liberty PAC spent supporting Ken Paxton · $3.6M
- No Going Back PAC spent supporting Ken Paxton · $2.8M
- No Going Back PAC spent opposing James Talarico · $2.8M
- Lower Costs Now spent opposing Ken Paxton · $1.3M
- Lower Costs Now spent supporting James Talarico · $1.2M
- Lone Star Rising PAC spent supporting James Talarico · $1.2M
- America PAC spent supporting Ken Paxton · $542K
- Foris Dax gave to MAGA Inc. · $35.0M
- Securing American Greatness (FL) gave to MAGA Inc. · $13.8M
- Thomas J Henry Law gave to Lone Star Liberty PAC · $646K
- SSC Inc gave to Lone Star Liberty PAC · $210K
- America Votes gave to Lone Star Rising PAC · $900K
- Sufam Advisors gave to Lone Star Rising PAC · $100K
- American Exceptionalism Institute gave to Defend US PAC · $825K
- Conservative Agenda for America (VA) gave to Defend US PAC · $250K
Group
- Texas PAC spent $68.8M supporting Ken Paxton$68.8M
- Texas PAC spent $64.8M opposing James Talarico$64.8M
Polls
Every poll of this race on one timeline.
The average of 8 polls to 28 Sep 2026 has James Talarico at 48.3% and Ken Paxton at 45.2%.
8polls in the average
- polls of this race
- 43
- pollsters
- 23
James TalaricoKen Paxton
Point at a dot, or tab in and use the arrow keys
Every poll, newest first
- 28 Sep ’26Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research 24 Sep to 28 Sep 2026 · 881 likely voters
- 22 Sep ’26Slingshot Strategies 19 Sep to 22 Sep 2026 · 1,007 likely voters
- 19 Sep ’26Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center 15 Sep to 19 Sep 2026 · 1,800 likely voters
- 14 Sep ’26Emerson College 12 Sep to 14 Sep 2026 · 1,000 likely voters
- 11 Sep ’26ReconMR/Siena University 8 Sep to 11 Sep 2026 · 614 likely voters
- 9 Sep ’26InsiderAdvantage 8 Sep to 9 Sep 2026 · 1,200 likely voters
- 4 Sep ’26YouGov 27 Aug to 4 Sep 2026 · 1,000 registered voters
- 1 Sep ’26Fabrizio Ward/Impact Research 30 Aug to 1 Sep 2026 · 895 likely voters
Go deeper
The paperwork behind this race, all of it. Free with an email sign-in.
The paperwork