James Talarico, the Democratic candidate running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, has become the subject of missing posters and social media jokes after his sudden absence from campaign events.
As Election Day approaches, Talarico has not appeared at public events for nearly two weeks. In a statement released on Tuesday, the candidate said he contracted the flu after “shaking tens of thousands of hands” during his campaign activities. According to campaign reports, Talarico’s last public appearance in Texas was a press conference held on September 26.
“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,” said Talarico’s campaign spokesperson J.T. Ennis.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been leveraging the situation to his advantage. At a recent rally in San Antonio attended by Trump supporters, Paxton had his backers chant, “Where is Talarico?” to mock the Democrat. Paxton also shared images of missing posters circulating across Texas, stating: “Missing posters are popping up across Texas as the search continues. LAST SEEN: 12 days ago. Texans everywhere are asking: where is James Talarico?”
President Donald Trump amplified the situation with a social media post that read: “Ladies and Gentlemen, upon information and belief, James TalaFREAKo, who is running for the United States Senate in Texas, is MISSING IN ACTION!”
Talarico’s campaign has also accused Paxton of ignoring Texans, claiming his priorities are “billionaire megadonors and special interests” rather than the people. Democrats hope to flip the Texas Senate seat to gain control of the U.S. Senate in the final months of President Trump’s term. However, concerns have grown among Black and Hispanic voters about whether Talarico has adequately engaged with these communities.
