The 2026 Texas Senate race has drawn national attention after the state set a national record for the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history, with advertising spending alone exceeding $128 million. The race features Republican candidate and current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defeated four-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a highly contested Republican runoff, facing off against Democratic nominee and state Representative James Talarico. Both candidates have raised substantial funds: Talarico shattered national first-quarter fundraising records by pulling in $27 million, while super PACs on both sides have injected tens of millions of dollars into the contest. For context, the 2024 Ohio Senate race currently holds the record for the most expensive overall U.S. Senate election in history, with $483.4 million spent in total