More than 1.3 million donors have contributed to the campaign, according to figures released by Talarico’s team. About 97% of donations were $100 or less.

“Grassroots contributors from across Texas are coming together to end billionaire control over our politics and bring down costs for working families,” Talarico said in a statement.

The record-setting haul comes as Republicans mobilize to hold the seat. Republican Ken Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a divisive GOP primary. National Republicans have spent about $235 million opposing Talarico, according to the figures reported by his campaign, and the race is expected to face a substantial Republican spending advantage in its final stretch.

A Democratic strategist working in Texas described the contest as an uphill fight, saying Talarico was being outspent by the Republican fundraising operation. The strategist spoke anonymously to discuss the campaign’s challenges.

Talarico had been off the campaign trail for more than a week while recovering from the flu, then returned to public events. His fundraising total offers a boost for Democrats seeking to make a competitive statewide run in Texas, where the party has struggled to win major offices.

The previous third-quarter Senate fundraising benchmark was set by Jaime Harrison, who raised $57 million in 2020 while running in South Carolina. Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke raised $38.1 million in the third quarter of 2018 during his Senate campaign.