You know that feeling when someone tells you a story that just doesn’t fit the facts? That is exactly what is happening with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. He says he was home sick with the flu for over a week. But the timeline he gives keeps shifting every time a reporter asks a simple question.
Talarico was last seen on a Zoom call on September 30. He did not appear in public again until the Austin City Limits Festival on October 9. That is a gap of 13 days where he was nowhere to be found on the campaign trail. Now he wants us to believe he was just resting in bed. The details from RedState and the Washington Examiner tell a different story.
I spoke with Rep. James Talarico earlier today in Dallas. I ask him about:
-getting the flu
-the claim he was getting treatment for a stress-induced episode
-a debate update
More tonight at 5 and 10 pm. https://t.co/uqhaXHcmtv
— Phil Prazan (@PhilPrazan) October 11, 2026
Here is the part that does not sit right. When Talarico first said he was sick back on September 30, he told people he had to visit an urgent care facility in Dallas. He was clear about this at the time. But when reporter Phil Prazan asked him about it recently, Talarico changed his story. He now says he only saw his primary care physician. The problem is, he lives in Austin, not Dallas.
Prazan pressed him on the details, asking about his diabetes and how bad the sickness got. Have you ever been required to visit a physician or a hospital? Prazan asked. Talarico said no, he just went to his regular doctor. But that contradicts what he said two weeks ago. People are asking why the location of his doctor visit changed along with the story.
James Talarico 2 weeks ago: “I went to the urgent care here in Dallas.”
Now he’s saying he only visited his primary care physician.
What is Talarico hiding? https://t.co/eYvL9Ynprt
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 11, 2026
There were also rumors that Talarico was getting treatment at a mental health facility called the Lindner Center for Hope in Ohio. His campaign denied this right away. Now the center itself has spoken up. That clears up one part of the mystery.
But Talarico is still stuck on the flu explanation. In remarks to the Dallas Morning News, he stated he was confined to bed at home due to the flu. He also told MS Now that he had the flu and called the situation the craziest thing he has ever heard. He thinks people are running wild with stories they find online. He even said that online information cannot always be trusted, noting that the internet is full of his own old statements that do not match his new ones.
While Talarico is busy explaining his absence, his opponent Ken Paxton is asking for answers. Paxton started a “Where is James Talarico?” chant at a rally. He told Fox News, “He owes Texans answers.” Paxton also pointed out that Talarico missed more than 800 votes while serving in the Texas legislature. That is a record voters need to see.
Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope.
— Lindner Center HOPE (@LindnerCtrHope) October 11, 2026
By claiming Paxton endures a “rare medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice,” Talarico tried to turn things around. He said Paxton asked for “proof of life” from him, while he is asking for “proof of spine.” The issue is that Paxton was not missing. He was working. Talarico says he challenged Paxton to a debate 85 days ago, but no one has heard from him. The debate remains off the table.
The truth matters when you ask for the job to lead a state. Talarico says he is running as a moderate, but his campaign trail looks like a ghost town. He attended a Kacey Musgrove concert in Dallas on Saturday night, which is fine for a private citizen. But for a candidate running for the Senate, hiding for 13 days and then changing the story about where he went to the doctor is a big problem. Voters in Texas deserve to know why a candidate cannot show up. The flu might be real, but the shifting stories are not.
