Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is fundraising in Chicago on Wednesday night with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, ahead of the governor’s own visit to Texas on Friday to deliver remarks before the state’s Democrats.
Talarico, a Texas state representative who is widely seen as a fast-rising Democratic star, is trying to become the first Democrat to win a statewide seat in Texas since 1994. He faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was endorsed in the waning days of his primary by President Donald Trump and won a runoff in a contentious race against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
The general election race — which is seen as the Democrats’ best chance to win a Senate seat in a deeply red state — is expected to be one of the most expensive Senate contests in the country.
Talarico brought in a hefty fundraising haul of $40.2 million during the primary, according to the Federal Election Commission. Records show he had $9.8 million cash on hand at the end of March.
Talarico was among 40 Texas Democrats who fled to Illinois in August to deny Republicans a quorum needed to approve new maps to expand the state’s GOP congressional majority ahead of the midterm elections. Other Texas Democrats traveled to Massachusetts and New York.
The walkout, which Texas Democrats called an “extraordinary and necessary step,” came a day after a House panel advanced a congressional map to add five new Republican districts. The rare mid-decade redistricting plan came amid pressure from Trump to draw new maps to protect the GOP’s narrow 219-212 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. And it worked. The U.S. Supreme Court in December reversed a lower court’s ruling that had struck down the new map over allegations of racial gerrymandering.
Talarico, 37, spent about two weeks in the Chicago area last year during the walkout. On Wednesday, Pritzker will serve as a “special guest” at a Chicago fundraiser in support of Talarico. Federal Election Commission records show Pritzker contributed $3,500 to Talarico’s campaign in March.
Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley is among several prominent Chicagoans listed as hosts of the fundraiser, according to the invite. Suggested contributions range from $500 to $5,000 for hosts. The top tier is $13,500.
Democrats are focusing on Paxton’s past — including his history of being indicted on securities fraud charges and surviving an impeachment vote in 2023 that alleged he used his power as attorney general to help a real estate investor. The securities fraud charges were ultimately dismissed, and the Texas Senate acquitted him of all impeachment articles.
During his primary victory speech, Paxton accused Talarico of being “the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever nominated” and accused him of running a “vegan campaign,” which Talarico shot down with a picture of him eating a turkey leg at the Texas State Fair, among other examples.
Democrats in the state are trying to gain back Hispanic voters who supported Trump in 2024, playing off the president’s recent unfavorable poll numbers.
Pritzker heads to Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday to deliver a keynote speech at the Texas Democratic Convention.