Texas State Rep. James Talarico (D-50th District) has disappeared from the campaign trail with 28 days left before he faces Republican Ken Paxton. His campaign calendar now lists no public appearances for the candidate himself, only canvassing and get-out-the-vote gatherings.
According to a report from our sister site Townhall, Talarico’s last public sighting in Texas came on Saturday, Sept. 26, more than a week ago. He then left for a fundraising trip to New York City, where the VIP dinner ran $27,000 a plate. The guest list included a filmmaker who called America a “s***hole” and a group that advocates child sex change surgeries.
The absences piled up from there. Talarico skipped his in-person Sept. 30 speech to the U.S. Hispanic Business Council in the Rio Grande Valley and joined virtually from a hotel instead. The explanation attendees got was, “His staff says he’s ill and was unable to travel.” During that remote appearance, Talarico said he had to seek treatment at an urgent care clinic in Dallas, and social media users have disputed that timeline.
Then came the recycled footage. On Friday, Oct. 2, the campaign posted video from a Feb. 22 rally, held before Talarico had even won the Democrat nomination, and tried to pass it off as current.
