James Talarico Resumes Campaigning at Austin City Limits Festival

<p>Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico appeared at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 7, 2026, after 13 days away from in-person campaigning in Texas. His absence was noted by Republican opponent Ken Paxton, who demanded "proof of life." </p><p>Talarico greeted festivalgoers and posed for photos during a roughly 15-minute visit before leaving with his campaign team. His spokesman, JT Ennis, stated that Talarico was “back on the campaign trail talking to voters at Austin City Limits.”</p><p>This return followed days of questions regarding Talarico’s health and whereabouts. On September 30, he announced that he had been diagnosed with the flu after seeking urgent care in Dallas, stating he was running a fever and wanted to avoid spreading the illness to supporters.</p><p>“I guess I’ve been shaking too many hands on the campaign trail, and so I want to keep everybody safe,” Talarico said during a virtual appearance before the U.S. Hispanic Business Council. He had attended a fundraiser in New York City in late September, with his last in-person campaign event in Texas being a September 26 press conference. His September 30 virtual appearance was his last public appearance before the festival visit.</p><p>Paxton and his allies pressed the issue during Talarico’s absence. The Republican attorney general’s campaign demanded “proof of life,” circulated missing-person-style posters featuring Talarico, and questioned why a candidate seeking to represent 31 million Texans was not appearing before voters.</p><p>At a rally in San Antonio with President Donald Trump on October 5, Paxton led the crowd in a chant asking, “Where is James Talarico?” Trump also mocked Talarico’s absence in a social media post on October 6, questioning the length of his reported illness and promoting Paxton’s candidacy.</p><p>Talarico returned just ahead of early voting, which is set to begin on October 19, in a state that Trump carried by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024.</p><p>A UMass Lowell/YouGov poll released on October 6 found Talarico and Paxton tied at 45% among likely voters, with 7% undecided. The poll surveyed 850 likely Texas voters from September 18-28, before Talarico announced his flu diagnosis.</p><p>Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder acknowledged that the absence was not ideal for the campaign, stating to NBC News that Paxton had “caught a little bit of a break” from the absence. Scudder also mentioned that Talarico appeared to be recovering and that Democrats wanted him healthy for the final stretch.</p><p>Some of Talarico’s supporters expressed concerns about the prolonged absence. The New York Post reported that members of a Talarico volunteer group worried about the candidate “losing momentum,” according to messages reviewed by the outlet.</p><p>Talarico told the New York Times on October 7 that he had been home sick with “a nasty case of the flu.” He dismissed online rumors about his whereabouts, including speculation that he had been receiving mental health treatment. “Just a reminder not to believe everything you read on the internet,” he said.</p><p>Talarico mentioned that he had additional events planned in Dallas over the weekend.</p>