Texas Senate Nominee James Talarico Returns to Campaign Trail After Illness-Related Absence
Talarico, who has been absent from public view for nearly two weeks, reappeared at a festival, pushing back against criticism from opponents.
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico returned to the campaign trail on Friday after an absence of nearly two weeks, addressing speculation and criticism from political opponents. His campaign stated he had been sidelined by a severe case of the flu.
Talarico's primary spokesperson, JT Ennis, posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Hate to disappoint the conspiracy theorists, but James is still alive and meeting with voters at ACL today." The post included a video of the candidate interacting with supporters at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Talarico is challenging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a closely watched U.S. Senate contest. His last public, in-person campaign event was a Sept. 26 news conference in Carrollton. His campaign stated he attended a fundraiser in New York City on Sept. 28, and was diagnosed with the flu the following day.
The prolonged absence drew sharp criticism from Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who accused Talarico of being "MISSING IN ACTION" and questioned the duration of his flu illness in a post on Truth Social.
Paxton also targeted Talarico's absence during his own campaign events, asking, "Where is James Talarico?"
Talarico's campaign pushed back against the characterization of a 12-day absence, noting he attended a virtual meeting with the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30. The campaign argued that his absence from in-person events was closer to nine days.
Prior to his illness, Talarico had completed more than 100 public campaign events across Texas. His campaign confirmed he is expected to resume a full in-person schedule leading up to an Oct. 14 CNN town hall.