Talarico raises $64 million in third quarter

Why it matters: It's the largest amount a U.S. Senate candidate has ever raised in the third quarter of an election, his campaign said.

• Republican Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, raised $18 million during the same period, but has benefited from massive PAC spending.

Case in point: Elon Musk spent at least $10 million on a pro-Paxton super PAC and gave $158 million to the GOP in September alone.

• PACs supported by President Trump, Republican senators and others have directed well north of $100 million to Paxton as they try to hold the seat currently occupied by Sen. John Cornyn.

What they're saying: "Grassroots contributors from across Texas are coming together to end billionaire control over our politics and bring down costs for working families," Talarico said in a statement.

• 97% of the third-quarter donations to Talarico were for less than $100, his campaign said in a press release.

By the numbers: Neither campaign has said how much money it had on hand at the end of the quarter — that information will be in federal campaign finance filings due midnight Thursday.

The other side: Paxton is launching an 18-day bus tour Saturday starting in Rockwall, outside Dallas.

• "As Texans, we will always fight to defend our families, our freedom, and our way of life from the radical left that wants to destroy it," he wrote on X on Thursday.

Zoom out: Since launching in September 2025, Talarico's insurgent campaign has raised more than $134 million.

What's next: Early voting starts Monday. Election Day is Nov. 3.