Dem Darling Showered With Miriam Adelson-linked Money

Texas Democrat James Talarico has built a national profile railing against GOP billionaires in politics — but has quietly accepted funds from a PAC backed by one of the wealthiest donors in the Republican Party.

The single biggest donor to Talarico’s state House reelection bid last year was a group funded by casino mogul Miriam Adelson, according to state campaign finance data.

Adelson, the widow of the late Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson, is one of President Donald Trump’s largest financial supporters and seen as a boogeyman by much of the left. Talarico is now considering a run for Senate, which would test whether such ties are a vulnerability at a time when liberal voters say they want Democrats to aggressively take on Trump.

Talarico received a total of $59,000 from the Texas Sands PAC through donations in February and December of 2024, according to state campaign finance records. That makes the group both his biggest donor last year and one of his largest since he first ran for the state legislature in 2018.

Asked about the funding, Talarico spokesperson Antonio Esparza said that the state representative pushed for campaign finance reform but “he will not unilaterally disarm and let Texas Republicans play by different rules” until the law changes.

“Rep. Talarico believes our campaign finance system is deeply broken,” he said. “That’s why he filed legislation to cap campaign contribution limits in the state of Texas.”

Texas does not have limits on political donations to state legislative candidates. Talarico introduced a bill earlier this year that would cap state campaign contributions at $10,000.

The year prior to receiving the funds from the Texas Sands PAC, he voted in support of legislation aimed at legalizing casino gambling in Texas through a proposed constitutional amendment put to voters.

Adelson, who has sunk millions into Texas Sands PAC, has pushed for Texas to legalize casino gambling. The group has given heavily to both Democrats and Republicans in the state.

Esparza said Talarico has backed the legalization of casino gambling “his entire career” because it “will bring good jobs and additional tax revenue” to the state.

Democrats have walked a political tightrope for years as they have campaigned against the power and influence of the super rich while also soliciting funds from moneyed donors such as Michael Bloomberg and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. As they look to take back power in the Trump era, they are increasingly leaning into populism and bashing billionaires, opening themselves up to attacks of hypocrisy.

“It’s … hard to argue that you are a person who meets the moment when you are cashing checks from the person who funded Donald Trump more than anybody but Elon Musk,” said a national Democratic operative who is not involved in the Texas Senate race and was granted anonymity to speak frankly.

Talarico has been vocal about the influence of wealthy donors in Texas politics as he’s been teasing a potential Senate run in recent weeks, saying that Republican billionaires “basically control” the state government.

“Basically every single Republican state senator in Texas has taken their money. Every single one. A majority of the Republicans in the state House have taken their money,” he said on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” referring to GOP contributors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, who made their fortune in oil and fracking. “They increasingly run this whole government here in Texas.”

Talarico likewise told Esquire that he has “been outspoken about the billionaire megadonors who basically run our state government” and “would hope to be a voice against corruption” if elected to the Senate.

Talarico’s team said he has one of the biggest grassroots fundraising operations in the state legislature, with 90 percent of his donors in the 2024 cycle giving him less than $100.

Talarico is one of several Democrats eyeing a Senate run in Texas, where incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn is facing a primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Democratic former Rep. Colin Allred, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ted Cruz last year, has announced a comeback bid, and other potential Democratic contenders include former Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Rep. Joaquin Castro.

Spokespeople for Adelson and the Texas Sands PAC declined to comment.