Updated October 10, 2026, 10:55 a.m. ET
After nearly two weeks away from the public eye, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is back on the campaign trail, making his return to the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Talarico’s campaign shared a video on Friday, Oct. 9, showing the candidate shaking hands, posing for photos and mingling with festival-goers, signaling his return to public appearances after battling the flu.
His appearance comes after a nearly two-week absence that fueled speculation on social media and drew criticism from President Donald Trump and his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who publicly questioned the Democrat’s whereabouts.
Talarico had not held an in-person campaign event in Texas since Sept. 26, but his campaign claimed he had been sidelined by the flu and was expected to return to the campaign trail this weekend.
Paxton was quick to respond to his appearance at the Austin music festival in an October 9 article on X.
“James Talarico ignored Hispanic business leaders, canceled the Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium, and tried to pass off old content as new. He’s not showing up as business as usual after ghosting the 31 million Texans he wants to represent for two weeks,” Paxton wrote.
“The ‘flu’ didn’t stop him from meeting New York billionaires and Hollywood elites, or partying with celebrities at a music festival that most working Texans don’t have the luxury of attending, especially after taking two weeks off. Must be nice after two weeks of PTO,” Paxton continued.
James Talarico vs. Ken Paxton polls
A new UMass Lowell/YouGov poll, released Oct. 8, shows Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico tied at 45 percent, with 7 percent undecided.
Here’s what the September and October polls show:
Natassia Paloma can be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
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