James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Texas, raised more than $3 million in the first 24 hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton emerged as his Republican opponent, Talarico’s campaign first told CNN.
The haul confirms Talarico’s status as a formidable fundraiser as he looks to become the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Texas since 1988. The party is especially encouraged after the scandal-scarred Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in a nasty primary runoff on Tuesday.
“Texans are uniting behind our campaign to defeat (Paxton) and the broken, corrupt political system he embodies,” Talarico said in a statement.
The $3 million haul is the most Talarico’s campaign has raised in a single day. It is more than the $2.5 million that Talarico raised earlier this year shortly after one of the biggest moments of his campaign: CBS’ decision not to air an interview that Talarico did with late-night host Stephen Colbert.
Talarico already raised $27 million in the first quarter of this year, one of the largest hauls by a Senate candidate ever. Paxton’s campaign and its affiliated committees took in $2.2 million over the same period.
