Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico has raised more than $13 million since he launched his Senate campaign last September, but Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) leads in the polls for the March primary.
Talarico brought in $6.8 million in the fourth quarter, with 98% of donations being $100 or less, and teachers being the most common profession among donors. The Texas state representative has pledged to take no donations from corporate PACs.
“With the help of more than 215,000 neighbors, we are building a campaign to win the primary, win the general, and deliver for working people across Texas,” Talarico said in a statement Friday.
Despite Talarico’s haul, Crockett is ahead of him in the polls some two months out from the primary. Crockett’s name recognition has her leading Talarico by 8 points in the primary, according to a poll by Texas Southern University last month.
The poll, reported by the Texas Tribune, showed 51% of likely Democratic voters plan to vote for Crockett, compared to just 43% who plan to vote for Talarico. The last 6% are undecided.
Talarico jumped into the race earlier this year, massively out-raising former Rep. Colin Allred, who was the Democratic Senate nominee in 2024. Allred suspended his campaign just hours before Crockett announced her bid on the filing deadline for Texas last month.
December’s poll fielded 1,600 likely Democratic primary voters and was the first public survey released since Crockett jumped into the race. Crockett’s name recognition came in with soaring numbers among likely primary voters at 94%, with Talarico at 79%.
The poll came in closer than the previous October poll by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University that showed Crockett with an 18% lead over Talarico.
Talarico is in seminary, studying to become a pastor, while also serving as a member of the state House. The 36-year-old has 1.2 million followers on TikTok and is a former sixth-grade teacher in San Antonio. Just weeks before launching his campaign, Talarico joined Joe Rogan’s podcast to discuss his outlook as a Christian Democrat.
Crockett has quickly risen to fame, serving her second term in the lower chamber, as the GOP has strived to make her the face of the Democratic Party.
The congresswoman has had many viral moments on social media for her quick-witted comments. One of the most viewed instances was an argument between her and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) during a committee hearing where the Texas Democrat referred to the Georgia Republican’s “bleach blonde, bad-built, butch body.” Another instance went viral recently when someone asked her what she would say to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. She responded quickly, saying she would tell him to “f*** off.”
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As of the end of September, Crockett had $4.6 million cash on hand, according to the Federal Election Commission, but has not released fundraising numbers since she launched her campaign late last year.
The two Democratic candidates are both seeking to flip Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) seat, which would make for a massive upset in the red state. Cornyn also has a competitive primary field after Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) and Attorney General Ken Paxton launched bids to unseat the longtime incumbent.