Texas Senate Hopeful James Talarico Denies Mental Health Clinic Rumors, Cites Flu
Democrat James Talarico returns to the campaign trail after a multi-day absence, addressing conspiracy theories that emerged during his illness.
Democratic Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico has returned to the campaign trail and forcefully dismissed rumors that he was receiving treatment at a mental health clinic, stating his absence was due to a severe case of the flu.
Talarico, 37, last appeared in person at a New York City fundraiser on September 29. The following day, he informed a business council virtually that he had fallen ill. "I was starting to feel under the weather a few days ago," he said, according to The New York Times. "Last night, it got so bad I went to the urgent care here in Dallas, and I was diagnosed with the flu, so I'm running a fever and I'm at my most contagious right now."
He expressed concern about potentially spreading the illness, adding, "If I was passing on this illness to somebody and got someone's grandmother or someone's baby sick, I couldn't live with myself."
Talarico reappeared at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, approximately 10 days after his last public event. He reiterated that he had been recovering from a "nasty case of the flu" and had been "home, stuck in bed."
His unexplained absence, occurring weeks before the midterm elections, fueled a wave of speculation and conspiracy theories, including claims that he had been admitted to a mental health facility in Ohio. His opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and his allies amplified the narrative, sharing "missing posters" and questioning Talarico's whereabouts.
Paxton suggested that Talarico had an undisclosed underlying issue and even demanded a "proof-of-life" photo. His campaign established a hotline called the "Tala-Freak-Out Tip Line" for reported sightings of the Democrat. President Donald Trump also posted on his Truth Social platform that Talarico was "MISSING IN ACTION!" and that "Bad rumors are coming out."
Senator Ted Cruz joined in by sharing a milk carton-style image of Talarico with the caption, "Have you seen this man?"
Online influencers aligned with Republicans reportedly claimed to have recorded a call with a mental health facility while posing as Talarico's cousin. Talarico called the rumor "the craziest thing I've ever heard," noting the rapid spread of unverified information online. He challenged Paxton's claims, stating, "He asked for proof of life from me. I'm asking proof of spine from him," referring to Talarico's invitations for Paxton to debate.
Talarico also commented on the conspiracies, telling NBC DFW that they were a "good reminder you can't believe everything you read on the Internet." He affirmed, "I had the flu and I'm feeling much better, and I'm glad I had a chance to recover."
Kendall Scudder, chair of the Texas Democratic Party, told NewsNation that the campaign is now operating "full steam ahead." He criticized "people in the swamps of the internet making up conspiracy theories" and noted that Talarico's Type 1 diabetes can sometimes prolong recovery from illness.
Paxton has continued to question Talarico's explanation, posting on Saturday, "James Talarico claims he was missing for 13 days because he had the 'flu.' Who actually believes that?" using an incorrect count of days Talarico was absent.