Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico addressed his recent absence from the campaign trail Sunday, saying it was nothing more than a “nasty case of the flu.” “I was in bed, drinking a lot of fluids. Unfortunately, the campaign had me working from home, so I didn’t even have full days off. But I didn’t want to be on the road and I didn’t want to get anyone else sick. I think it’s important for leaders to be responsible right now. And I’m glad to be back. I feel a lot better,” he told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth in an interview. Talarico returned to the election campaign on Friday; his last in-person event in the state was Sept. 26, and on Sept. 30 he spoke at a forum virtually, saying he wasn’t feeling well. In his absence, some conservatives speculated that he would take a break for mental health reasons. A right-wing influencer falsely claimed that Talarico was receiving treatment at the Lindner Center of Hope, a facility in Ohio. When asked about those theories, Talarico said, “The Internet is doing its thing.” “That’s not true,” Talarico said. “I just had the flu and I feel much better. But it’s a good reminder that you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” The Lindner Center also rejected the speculation on Sunday, posting on social media: “Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from the Lindner Center for Hope.” race. State Attorney General Ken Paxton, Talarico’s Republican opponent, asked him to show “proof of life” with a photograph of himself and a newspaper showing the date. President Donald Trump, who defended Paxton in San Antonio on Wednesday, noted Talarico’s absence and urged him to debate Paxton. When asked about Trump’s comment on Sunday, Talarico said he agreed. “I agree with President Trump. I think Ken Paxton should debate. The president says he should debate. Fox News has said he should debate. The people of Texas have said he should debate, and I think it’s mysterious that Ken Paxton hasn’t responded to a debate request in 85 days,” Talarico said. “Ken Paxton has asked for proof of life for me. I’m asking for spinal tests for him,” he added. So far there are no debates scheduled. Talarico has accepted debate invitations from multiple media outlets, but Paxton has not done the same.
