James Talarico returning to the track after flu absence has attracted attention

After drawing attention to his absence from the election campaign, Democratic candidate for the Texas Senate, James Talarico, who had contracted the flu, returned to the strain on Friday.

“James Talarico is back on the campaign trail to speak to voters about Austin City Limits,” Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement.

Social media posts on Friday showed Talarico walking on the festival grounds.

Talarico revealed on September 30 that he was ill, despite having to appear virtually rather than in person at a forum. His prolonged absence has drawn daily attention from his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Paxton’s campaign requested “proof of life” and asked Talarico to produce a photo of himself and a diary with a current date. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz mocked social media by presenting a milk carton with Talarico’s face and the word “MISSING.”

Talarico’s last in-person event in the state was on September 26. He traveled to New York on September 29 for a private fundraiser and, according to his virtual remarks to the Hispanic Business Council the next day, returned to Dallas and checked himself into urgent care.

Afterwards, Talarico appeared visibly ill, blowing his nose and coughing during the event.

“I was starting to feel a little bad a few days ago, and last night it got so bad that I went to urgent care here in Dallas and was diagnosed with the flu,” Talarico said at the time. “I have a fever and I’m the most contagious right now. And I guess I shook too many hands on the campaign trail, and so I want to keep everyone safe.”

His absence from the trail at the crucial election moment caused some consternation among Democrats.

“Believe me, we don’t want that right now,” said a Texas Democrat involved in the race in Talarico. “We would rather have him on the track.”