Talarico’s 12-Day Absence Sparks Concern in Texas Senate Race

2 min read

James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate, is reportedly ‘really sick’ after a 12-day absence from the campaign trail, raising questions about his health and campaign strategy as the race enters its final stretch.

The Daily Wire previously reported that Talarico contracted the flu following a high-profile fundraiser in New York City with a far-left filmmaker who described America as a ‘sh*thole country.’ During a virtual event on Sept. 30, Talarico explained his absence, stating, ‘I guess I’ve been shaking too many hands on the campaign trail, and so I want to keep everybody safe.’ He also expressed concern about potentially spreading the illness to vulnerable individuals.

Since then, Talarico’s campaign has canceled several events, and no future campaign appearances are scheduled. However, he is expected to attend a CNN town hall next week. A Texas Democrat involved in the race told NBC, ‘He’s like, really sick. Believe me, we don’t want this right now. We’d rather have him on the trail.’

Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder acknowledged the absence as a challenge, noting that it has allowed Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to gain a slight advantage. A new poll released Thursday showed the race tied. Scudder emphasized the importance of Talarico’s health, stating, ‘It’s certainly not ideal, but we want to make sure he does everything he needs to do to make sure that he’s healthy and ready to go.’

President Donald Trump has criticized Talarico’s absence, mocking him on social media. ‘TalaFREAKo has been missing for 12 days! Now, after looking for him throughout all of Texas, and beyond, probably even weirder places than anyone would think possible, he put out a statement that he has the ‘flu,’ Trump wrote. ’12 days is a long time to rid yourself of the so-called flu bug. What’s going on?’ He also praised Paxton, calling him ‘the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas.’

The Paxton campaign noted that Talarico has not held a rally since September 16 and hasn’t been seen in person since September 26. A campaign spokeswoman, Madison Cercy, said, ‘Low-T Jimmy appears to be having a full-blown mental Tala-freak-out on the national stage. We have a simple request: proof of life.’

Conservative commentator Meghan McCain said, ‘This is not going to get better for Talarico.’ Some critics have also questioned the flu explanation, with Sara Gonzales of BlazeTV suggesting that if true, it could end Talarico’s campaign.