By Patrick Svitek

(CNN) — James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Texas, raised more than $3 million in the first 24 hours after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton emerged as his Republican opponent, Talarico’s campaign first told CNN.

The haul confirms Talarico’s status as a formidable fundraiser as he looks to become the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Texas since 1988. The party is especially encouraged after the scandal-scarred Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in a nasty primary runoff on Tuesday.

“Texans are uniting behind our campaign to defeat (Paxton) and the broken, corrupt political system he embodies,” Talarico said in a statement.

The $3 million haul is the most Talarico’s campaign has raised in a single day. It is more than the $2.5 million that Talarico raised earlier this year shortly after one of the biggest moments of his campaign: CBS’ decision not to air an interview that Talarico did with late-night host Stephen Colbert.

Talarico already raised $27 million in the first quarter of this year, one of the largest hauls by a Senate candidate ever. Paxton’s campaign and its affiliated committees took in $2.2 million over the same period.

Talarico’s campaign entered April with $9.9 million cash on hand, while Paxton’s groups had $2.6 million in reserves.

Talarico kicked off the general election with a rally Wednesday in Houston, where he touted his campaign’s fundraising success and promised the financial support would help “end 30 years of one-party rule in Texas.”

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