Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Clarifies Flu Absence Amid Conspiracy Theories
Talarico's campaign refutes claims of mental breakdown after a nine-day absence from the campaign trail due to illness.
Senate Democratic candidate James Talarico has addressed the timeline of his illness after a nine-day absence from campaigning in the critical Texas Senate race, which fueled online speculation. His campaign stated that Talarico visited urgent care on September 29 and later saw his primary care physician, attributing his absence to a "nasty case of the flu."
"James is excited to be back on the campaign trail after recovering from the flu," said campaign spokesman JT Ennis. "It’s been 87 days since James challenged Ken Paxton to come out of hiding and answer Texans’ questions in a debate, which even President Trump called on him to do. Ball is in Paxton’s court."
Talarico, 37, initially mentioned visiting urgent care in Dallas, but upon his return, clarified that he had seen his primary care physician and that it was "nothing worse than a nasty case of the flu."
The candidate's time away prompted online speculation, including debunked claims that he had sought mental health treatment in Ohio. The Lindner Center of Hope, a mental health facility, confirmed that Talarico had never received treatment there. Talarico himself addressed these rumors on social media, stating, "I’ve never even been to Ohio."
Speculation intensified after Talarico was seen visibly ill on a forum on September 30, while some GOP-aligned accounts began questioning his whereabouts days later. Talarico had been in New York City for campaign fundraisers from September 28-29 with Senator Sherrod Brown and celebrities like Robert De Niro.
On October 9, Talarico was photographed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Prior to his public appearance, claims circulated on social media, amplified by accounts like Spencer Pratt and Rhein Amacher, alleging Talarico was in a mental health facility. Amacher posted audio of a purported phone call with a staffer from the Lindner Center of Hope suggesting Talarico had been discharged. However, Talarico was publicly photographed the previous evening.
The controversy arises as Republican opponent Ken Paxton has also faced scrutiny for his campaign visibility. Paxton reportedly traveled with an alleged mistress to Iceland and London during a period when he was less active on the campaign trail. Current polling averages indicate Talarico leading Paxton by 2.8 percentage points.