Talarico's Campaign Team Expresses Concerns Over His Absence
WHO:
NY Post - Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico is the Democratic candidate.
ABC News - President Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are attacking Talarico.
WHAT:
ABC News - Talarico's campaign has not indicated when he will resume in-person events but promised he will be "back on the trail soon."
ABC News - Talarico has talked openly at healthcare events about having Type 1 diabetes, a condition that could complicate his recovery from the flu.
ABC News - Trump stated, "12 days is a long time to rid yourself of the so-called flu bug. What's going on?" regarding Talarico's absence.
ABC News - Talarico has unsuccessfully challenged Paxton to debate him, most recently proposing a debate on Fox News.
ABC News - Talarico previously accepted a CNN debate, but Paxton declined.
ABC News - None of the debates between Talarico and Paxton have been scheduled despite a Paxton adviser stating earlier this summer that Paxton "of course" plans to debate Talarico.
NY Post - Talarico's campaign team is concerned about his 12-day absence from the campaign trail.
ABC News - Talarico has been off the campaign trail for more than a week due to the flu.
ABC News - Talarico's last public event was on September 26, and he held a virtual event on September 30.
ABC News - Talarico has a CNN town hall scheduled for next Wednesday.
ABC News - Trump criticized Talarico, stating, "TalaFREAKo has been missing for 12 days!"
WHERE:
ABC News - Talarico visited urgent care in Dallas for his illness.
ABC News - Trump made remarks at a rally in Texas.
WHEN:
ABC News - Talarico's last public event was on September 26.
ABC News - Talarico held a virtual event on September 30.
ABC News - Trump stated that Talarico has been absent for 12 days.
ABC News - Talarico's CNN town hall is scheduled for next Wednesday.
WHY:
ABC News - Talarico stated he is sick and wants to keep everyone safe from illness.
ABC News - Trump and Paxton are questioning Talarico's explanation for his absence.
HOW:
ABC News - Talarico moved an appearance to virtual capacity and canceled some events due to his illness.
(UPDATED October 9, 2026 02:17 UTC)
Talarico's campaign has not specified when he will return to in-person events, but they assure supporters he will be "back on the trail soon." Trump has expressed concern over Talarico's absence, questioning, "12 days is a long time to rid yourself of the so-called flu bug. What's going on?" Meanwhile, despite Talarico's attempts to challenge Paxton to a debate, including a recent proposal for a Fox News debate, none have been scheduled, even after a Paxton adviser indicated earlier this summer that Paxton "of course" plans to debate Talarico.
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(UPDATED October 9, 2026 01:35 UTC)
Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico is the Democratic candidate, but he has been off the campaign trail for more than a week due to the flu, raising concerns among his campaign team. President Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are attacking Talarico, with Trump criticizing him at a rally in Texas, stating, "TalaFREAKo has been missing for 12 days!" Talarico's last public event was on September 26, and he has a CNN town hall scheduled for next Wednesday, as he aims to keep everyone safe from illness while managing his campaign.