Texas Senate Race Intensifies During Talarico’s Campaign Break
Goldlaner.com – Talarico s 12 day absence from public events has become a central line of attack in Texas’ closely watched Senate contest, with Republican nominee and Attorney General Ken Paxton questioning Democratic nominee James Talarico’s visibility in the campaign’s final weeks.
Talarico’s campaign says he has been recovering from influenza after a demanding schedule of appearances. His team has said he plans to resume in-person campaigning over the weekend, with Election Day less than four weeks away.
At a San Antonio rally on Wednesday, Paxton encouraged attendees to chant about Talarico’s whereabouts. The Republican campaign also promoted the message online, while President Donald Trump described Talarico as “MISSING IN ACTION” in a Truth Social post.
Campaign says flu followed more than 100 public events
JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico, said the candidate became ill after a busy stretch on the campaign trail.
“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,” Ennis said Thursday.
Talarico disclosed his diagnosis on September 30 during a virtual appearance before the United States Hispanic Business Council. He had been expected to attend the Edinburg, Texas, gathering in person but instead spoke by video from Dallas.
“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 told the audience.
He said he had a fever and did not want to expose supporters or attendees while he was contagious. Talarico s 12 day absence followed his most recent public Texas event on September 26, a Carrollton news conference focused on suspending federal taxes on gas and diesel and ending the war with Iran.
A campaign source later said Talarico attended a private New York City fundraiser featuring actor Robert De Niro on September 28.
Paxton remains active as debate pressure grows
Paxton continued making public campaign stops while Talarico was away from the trail. Along with the San Antonio event alongside Trump, Paxton participated in four other campaign events, including a discussion with the United States Hispanic Business Council. He also attended Trump’s event in Denton.
Trump later urged a debate between the Senate candidates, writing that Talarico should appear on a debate stage against Paxton. Paxton’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment about Trump’s proposal.
Talarico has already challenged Paxton to multiple debates, including an event on Fox News. One potential opportunity remains: Talarico is scheduled to join a Fort Worth town hall on Wednesday, October 14, hosted by CNN and Jubilee Media, and Paxton has been invited to participate.
An open seat and a competitive final stretch
The winner of the race will succeed Republican Sen. John Cornyn, whose seat is open after Paxton defeated him in a hard-fought May primary. That contest made Paxton the Republican nominee while also highlighting the political divisions surrounding the Senate race.
With both campaigns seeking support across Texas, Talarico s 12 day absence has given Republicans a timely argument about campaign visibility. Talarico’s allies, however, point to his recent schedule and his decision to avoid spreading the flu as evidence that the interruption was health-related rather than a retreat from the race.
Texas Senate Race FAQ
Why was James Talarico absent from public campaign events?
Talarico’s campaign said he was recovering from influenza. He publicly said he had a fever and wanted to avoid exposing supporters and event attendees while contagious.
When is Talarico expected to return to campaigning?
His campaign said he would return to the trail over the weekend after recovering from the flu.
Will Talarico and Paxton debate?
Talarico has called for multiple debates, and both candidates have been connected to a proposed Fort Worth town hall on October 14. Paxton has been invited to participate.
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