Everybody knows what the last weeks of a political campaign are like: phones ringing constantly, chaotic activity, exhausting twenty-hour days, racing from one rally or speech to the next. An all-out, pedal-to-the-metal effort by all hands.
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So why, with the first plausible chance at snagging a Texas Senate seat for the Democrats in a generation at risk, has James Talarico ceased campaigning at all?
It’s going on two weeks since Talarico dropped out of sight. His last public appearance was 13 days ago during fundraising trips to LA and New York City. The last confirmed sighting was on September 26 at a Panthers football game. He hasn’t been seen in public since.
Social media speculation has been rife, not to say wild-eyed: Talarico had a breakdown and is recovering in a Houston clinic. He has entered rehab. He is suffering from AIDs.
According to the astute political observer Donald Trump: “He’s a vegan… He’s sick because he’s been forced to eat meat for political reasons, and he’s throwing up all over the place.”
The Talarico campaign has released a statement claiming that he is suffering from the flu. The response was immediate. Benny Johnson wanted to know how long it takes to recover from flu. And even with a bad case, you can still film a two-minute video clip for release on TikTok.
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Clay Travis concluded: “Talarico’s vanishing from the campaign trail makes zero sense. Something is up. This isn’t the flu.”
Blaze Media firebrand Sara Gonzalez says that she has “…received unverified information on James Talarico’s whereabouts. If true, it will END his campaign.” She also asked “…anyone who can verify where James Talarico has been” to contact her.
Even the Paxton campaign overcame its customary somnolence to issue a wanted poster asking for proof that Talarico was alive. They said they’d settle for a video of Talarico holding a copy of today’s newspaper, or even a doctor’s note. “If James Talarico is too fragile to face Texans, he has no business asking for their vote.”
It gets even worse. According to Ed Morrisey, the Talarico campaign does not have a single event lined up for him for the rest of the month.
This is developing into a Leitmotif of the 2026 midterms: Democrat campaigns falling apart just as they should be revving up for the final lap. Last week we had Abdul Muhammed el-Sayed losing a key campaign staffer along with the endorsement of the Michigan firefighters union. This week it’s Talarico carried off by the trolls. I could go for more.
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Image: Ken Paxton