AUSTIN, Texas – Texas state Rep. James Talarico has raised $27 million for his U.S. Senate campaign in the first quarter of 2026, breaking the record for any Senate candidate in a U.S. race. 

The Austin Democrat has now taken in more than $40 million since starting his bid last September, his press team announced Wednesday. 

Talarico breaks another fundraising record

The latest:

The $40 million total came from more than 970,000 donations from over 540,000 individual contributors, the press release says, with donations from 246 of Texas’ 254 counties and none from corporate PACs. Since primary day, he has raised over $10 million.

The $27 million raised this quarter is the most ever raised by a Senate candidate in the first quarter of an election year, Talarico’s team says. About 97% of the donations were $100 or less, given by a base of donors including farmers, ranchers, oil workers, nurses, firefighters, his team said, though the most common profession for Talarico donors has reportedly been teachers. Talarico began his career as a public school teacher at a middle school in San Antonio. 

By comparison, Politico compiled other fundraising efforts by Senate hopefuls across the nation. They say Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff raised more than $14 million in the first quarter; In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper raised $13.8 million; In Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola brought in $8.9 million; and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown raised $12.5 million in his comeback bid.

‘Ready to take back Texas for working people’

What they’re saying:

“Grassroots contributors from almost every county in Texas are sending Washington D.C. a clear message: they’re tired of this broken, corrupt political system, and they’re ready to take back Texas for working people,” said James Talarico. “We’re bringing Democrats, Republicans, and Independents together to end billionaire control over our politics and bring down costs for families across our state.”

“Winning in Texas will require unprecedented resources,” said Seth Krasne, Talarico’s campaign manager. “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. But we can’t take our foot off of the gas.”

State Rep. James Talarico addresses the crowd during a campaign rally after launching his Senate campaign for the seat held by John Cornyn in Round Rock, Texas, Sept. 9, 2025. (Callaghan O’Hare for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Advertisement

James Talarico Senate campaign

The backstory:

Talarico has served in the Texas House since 2018, representing part of the Austin area. He’s been running for Senate with a progressive populist, anti-billionaire stance, claiming he intends to fight for U.S. workers and get big donors out of politics. 

This isn’t the first time Talarico has broken a fundraising record in his campaign. Within weeks of joining the race in September 2025, the Democrat reported raising $6.2 million. Since the start, Talarico has said his campaign has taken zero dollars from corporate PACs (it should be noted that at least one super PAC, Lone Star Rising, has advertised and stumped in favor of Talarico. Per federal law, candidates cannot coordinate with outside entities, and the campaign maintains that they’ve obeyed those guidelines throughout the race).

Talarico entered the race to challenge former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred for the Democrat nomination. Allred dropped out to run again for the House, leaving Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett to duke it out in March. Talarico ended up winning the primary on March 3 after a heated race, which included some confusion at the polls for residents in a couple of contentious Texas counties. 

What’s next:

The Republican nominee for Senate will be decided on May 26 by a runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas AG Ken Paxton. Talarico will face the winner of that race in the general election on Nov. 3.

AUSTIN, Texas — Culinary magazine Food & Wine named Austin the top U.S. city for coffee in the nation.

The city seems to have a coffee shop on every corner, with some operating out of unique locations.

Mercado Sin Nombre in East Austin brings a Mexico City street vibe with cempasúchil flowers and other colorful decor, a Coca-Cola brand menu sign and milk crates doubling as tables. Walter’s Tavern on South Congress Avenue operates out of a historic Victorian home and A Hole Coffee literally serves drinks out of a hole in the wall.

From creative concepts to beloved classics, shops like Leona, which recently opened in Sunset Valley, Desnudo — serving up masterful lattes with ingredients like miso paste and fruit purees — and Cherrywood Coffeehouse are some of the city’s most popular haunts for a cup of joe.

“The sheer variety of cultural influences, creative drink options, and accompanying food choices make Austin’s one of the most vibrant coffee scenes in the country,” Food & Wine said.

See the magazine’s full list below.

Top 10 U.S. cities for coffee, according to Food & Wine:

1. Austin
2. New York City
3. Los Angeles
4. Chicago
5. Seattle
6. Miami
7. Honolulu
8. San Francisco
9. Boston
10. San Juan, Puerto Rico

AUSTIN, Texas – A man was charged with murder in connection to a deadly East Austin shooting last week, police said.

This is the Austin Police Department’s 20th homicide of the year.

What we know:

Police said on April 10, around 8:40 p.m., officers responded to a call of a shooting at the Cabana Club at 5012 East 7th Street. 

When officers arrived, they found a victim, Richard Barr, with gunshot wounds to his body. He died from his injuries. 

The investigation showed there had been a fight in the parking lot outside the club that escalated into the suspect, 21-year-old Ryan Lara, shooting Barr in the back. 

Barr had been moving away and across the parking lot from Lara when he was shot. Police said Lara had also shot two other people in the group. They were taken to a local hospital for their injuries. One victim remains in critical condition while the other victim was released.

Ryan Lara, 21 (Austin Police Department)

Lara was charged with murder. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.