Democrat James Talarico hauled in more than $27 million in the first quarter of 2026 for his Texas Senate run, his campaign announced this week.

Why it matters: The state legislator's money raised dwarfs the amount incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn raised during the same period and will play a key role in persuading voters in what is shaping up as a very expensive race.

• Cornyn will face Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a May runoff.

Stunning stat: Talarico's latest haul is the largest amount ever raised by a U.S. Senate candidate in the first quarter of an election year, per his campaign.

• He finished the quarter with $9.9 million in cash on hand.

The intrigue: Talarico's campaign said 97% of contributions to the campaign this election cycle have been $100 or less.

• "This grassroots fundraising haul puts our movement in a strong position to spread our message in some of the most expensive media markets in the country," Talarico for Texas campaign manager Seth Krasne said in a statement.

The other side: The Cornyn campaign said it raised nearly $9 million in the first quarter, including $3.4 million in the four weeks after the March 3 primary. Texans for Senator John Cornyn finished the quarter with $4.9 million on hand — and millions of dollars more are supporting Cornyn's campaign through related groups.

• Ken Paxton for Senate raised $1.15 million in the period covering Feb. 12 to March 31, per its quarterly FEC filing. It finished the period with $2.1 million on hand.
• Surveys show Paxton polling ahead of Cornyn in the runoff.

Likely or leaning Republican

Speaking of political donations, former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred has outraised U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson ahead of their runoff in the 33rd Congressional District.

Why it matters: North Texas lost a Democratic-leaning congressional district under the GOP-led redistricting process, creating musical chairs among Democrats for the remaining districts.

Driving the news: The primary runoffs are on May 26.

State of politics: The winner of Allred and Johnson's runoff will face the winner of the Republican runoff between Patrick David Gillespie and John Sims.

• The 33rd District was reshaped during redistricting but remains solidly Democratic, per Cook Political Report.

The latest: Allred for Texas received nearly $1 million in contributions in the first quarter of 2026 and finished the period with about $679,000 on hand, per his latest FEC filing.

• Johnson received about $759,000 and finished the quarter with about $487,000 on hand, per her FEC filing.

Catch up quick: U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) currently represents the 33rd but decided not to run for reelection after he was drawn of the district.

• Johnson, who currently represents the 32nd District, decided to run in the 33rd after her district was redrawn to stretch into East Texas.
• Allred was pursuing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate but dropped out and decided to run for the 33rd instead.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the winner of the runoff between Colin Allred and Julie Johnson will face the winner of the Republican runoff between Patrick David Gillespie and John Sims (not Jace Yarbrough).

The Dallas Zoo has two new Sumatran tigers and wants you to help name one of them.

Driving the news: The cubs were born in February, weighing around 2.5 pounds. The female cub's name is up for a vote.

Zoom in: The options are:

• Rina, which honors a ranger in the Sumatran Ranger Project.
• Alya, which means "sky" or "heaven" in Arabic.
• Merapi, the most active volcano in Sumatra, Indonesia's largest island.

How it works: To vote on a name, donate to the zoo through April 20.

• The mother's name is Sukacita (or "Suki") and father's name is Kuasa, in case that helps inform your vote.

What's next: The zoo says the babies will remain behind the scenes with their mother for now, bonding and getting stronger before their public debut.

• The zoo will announce the male cub's name when it announces the results of the female's naming contest.

🪢 Parts of downtown Dallas near City Hall will be closed to cars this weekend because of the Dallas Spartan Race. (DMN)

🗳️ The Dallas County GOP chair resigned after party leaders couldn't agree on allowing countywide voting or requiring voters to go to a designated location for the May 26 primary runoff. (NBC5)

⚖️ The U.S. Senate confirmed a Tarrant County state district judge's appointment as a federal judge in Waco. (KERA)

Few North Texas cocktails can surprise us, but this upscale Irving Indian restaurant served up creative concoctions that mirror the food menu's contents.

What to expect: Curry spice, ginger, herbs, chili and pepper flavors in versions of classic cocktails, such as old fashioneds and gimlets.

What to order: Chowpatti Bhel Puri — tequila, tomato, chaat masala, tamarind and citrus served in a coupe. It's a twist on chaat, a type of Indian street food.

• We also tried an Indian G&T with chili spice.

Where: Sanjh, 5250 N. O'Connor Blvd., suite 146 in Irving.

Cost: $16

Six-word review: Savory, spicy cocktail complements main dishes.

📭 Know a drink we should try? Hit reply and tell us.