Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was spotted on the campaign trail for the first time after a nearly two-week absence, an absence that drew heavy speculation.
Talarico disappeared late last month in the homestretch of the critical Senate race. His campaign told the media on Friday that it was due to a diagnosis of the flu, and that he would be back on the campaign trail over the weekend. Facing withering Republican attacks, he appeared back in public one day before the weekend, mingling with voters at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Videos posted on social media showed the Senate hopeful meeting, taking pictures, shaking hands, and speaking with voters at the festival.
Talarico’s absence had been noted in recent days, with Republicans casting doubt on his claims of sickness. His Republican rival, Ken Paxton, suggested that the Democratic hopeful had suffered a nervous breakdown of some kind.
“Jimmy appears to be having a full-blown mental Tala-freak-out on the national stage,” he posted on X. “My campaign has a simple request: proof of life.”
Attached to the post was a parody “Wanted” poster, saying, “Use caution when approaching! Talarico is mentally fragile, easily overwhelmed, and prone to illness.”
The angle went viral among Republicans and was boosted by the Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump.
On Friday, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt added to the speculation, saying his sources told him that Talarico was in a mental health facility and his campaign had stopped planning events.
“If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico. 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. Campaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it,” Pratt posted on X.
After Talarico was seen in public, Pratt suggested that his post had “smoked him out of hiding.”
The Texas Senate race is one of the closest in the country, with both sides investing heavily. A Democrat hasn’t held statewide office in decades, but Republican infighting and Talarico’s attempts to portray himself as a centrist Christian have won him a notable number of supporters.
Most polls have Talarico ahead of Paxton, but they have begun narrowing in recent weeks.