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Talarico Returns to Campaign Trail After 13-Day Absence
Confirmed
In Short: Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico returned to the campaign trail after a 13-day absence, which Republicans seized on to question his whereabouts.
Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico returned to the campaign trail on Friday after a 13-day absence, which Republicans had seized on to question his whereabouts.
Talarico's campaign spokesperson, JT Ennis, told Fox News that the candidate had been ill with the flu but would be back on the trail this weekend.
At a campaign rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and President Trump mocked Talarico's absence, with Paxton leading the crowd in a chant asking, 'Where is James Talarico?'
Paxton's campaign had circulated missing-person-style posters featuring Talarico and questioned why a candidate seeking to represent 31 million Texans was not appearing before voters.
Talarico was spotted at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, greeting festivalgoers and posing for photos during a roughly 15-minute visit.
The public back-and-forth over Talarico’s whereabouts underscores the intensity of a race that has attracted national attention and significant outside spending in its final weeks.
Talarico had visited New York on Sept. 29 for a private fundraiser and returned to Dallas the following day, where he visited urgent care and was diagnosed with the flu.
Talarico's campaign told Fox News Digital that the candidate had been sick with the flu and plans to return to the campaign trail this weekend.
With early voting beginning October 19 and Election Day set for November 3, both campaigns are entering the final stretch of a race that could determine whether Democrats can win a statewide election in Texas for the first time since 1994.
The exchange over Talarico's whereabouts comes as the candidates enter the final weeks of the campaign.
Talarico's absence had drawn heavy speculation, with Trump declaring Talarico 'MISSING IN ACTION' and demanding he debate the GOP nominee.
Talarico's campaign renewed the challenge Friday, noting it had been 84 days since Talarico first called on the Republican nominee to share a debate stage.
What this adds
Talarico's return to the campaign trail after 13 days of absence marks a significant moment in the race for the Texas Senate seat.
The public back-and-forth over Talarico’s whereabouts highlights the intense scrutiny and pressure in the final weeks of the campaign.
What's confirmed
- Ken Paxton and President Trump launched a new attack on Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico as the two Republicans shared a stage at a campaign rally in San Antonio on Wednesday night.
- "After holding more than 100 public events and shaking tens of thousands of hands, James came down with the flu but will be back on the trail this weekend," JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson for Talarico, told Fox News.
- "Ken Paxton has been ignoring Texans this entire campaign, and his priorities are clear: He doesn’t answer to the people of this state. He answers to his billionaire megadonors and special interests."
- By Ewan Scott | Oct 8, 2026 | Featured, News & Analysis, Politics Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton used a high-profile Trump rally in San Antonio to publicly question Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s 11-day absence from the campaign trail.
- Trump suggested without evidence that Talarico had become sick after eating meat for political reasons, mocking the Democrat’s dietary preferences in front of the crowd.
- James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, returned to the campaign trail on Friday after being away for nearly 10 days.
- Talarico’s campaign told Fox News Digital that the candidate has been sick with the flu and plans to return to the campaign trail this weekend.
What's still developing
- President Trump on Truth Social calling for @jamestalarico to “immediately report to the Debate Stage” against @KenPaxtonTX. https://t.co/UxQynCp5jO Talarico and Trump don't align often.
- TV | KPRC's Cathy Hernandez returns to the Texans sideline Lawsuits | Houston developer sued after blind employee fired on first day Jobs | Texas layoffs hit Benchmark Mortgage, Hello Bello during Thanksgiving Courts | Houston man's Pakistani divorce rejected by Texas Supreme Court Michael Shapiro is a digital news and sports reporter for Chron.
- @jamestalarico https://t.co/dFxYsg1T9Q Paxton continued the attack on social media Wednesday night, posting, "Where are they hiding that little socialist?" alongside a photo of himself at the rally and tagging Talarico.
- Trump also questioned Talarico’s absence while campaigning for Paxton, repeatedly criticizing the Democrat’s positions on immigration, public safety and education.
- Social media posts showed Talarico walking on the grounds of the festival on Friday.
- “I was starting to feel kind of under the weather a few days ago, and last night it got so bad that I went to the urgent care here in Dallas, and I was diagnosed with the flu,” Talarico said at the time.
- We should, of course, savagely mock his smug, awful campaign advisors, by all means … and while yes, of course, this would be disqualifying for Talarico’s aspirations to be a Texas Senator, we must hold empathy for anyone undergoing crisis.