![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/WYQTQHB7L5EL7PHKAI7LNLHIXA.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Texas Senate hopeful has been losing precious time ahead of the historic election.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday\/The Daily Beast\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Democratic star James Talarico has taken a nearly two-week hiatus from the campaign trail amid the final push before the midterms, causing Democrats to sound the alarm.<\/p>\n
The Texas state representative has been absent from in-person campaign events for 12 days after contracting the flu, giving his scandal-ridden Trump-endorsed opponent, Ken Paxton, ammunition ahead of the crucial election on Nov. 3.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s, like, really sick. Believe me, we don\u2019t want this right now,\u201d a Texas Democrat affiliated with the Talarico race told NBC News<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019d rather have him on the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement on Thursday that the Senate candidate would return to the campaign trail this weekend.<\/p>\n Texas Democratic Senate candidate and Texas state Rep. James Talarico takes a photo with Sylvia Lagos.<\/p>\n San Antonio Express-News\/Hearst \/San Antonio Express-News via Get<\/p>\n \u201cAfter holding more than 100 public events and shaking tens of thousands of hands, James came down with the flu but will be back on the trail this weekend,\u201d Ennis said. \u201cKen Paxton has been ignoring Texans this entire campaign, and his priorities are clear: he doesn\u2019t answer to the people of this state \u2014 he answers to his billionaire megadonors and special interests.\u201d<\/p>\n Democratic political strategist Ed Espinoza told NBC News that some supporters were concerned about Talarico\u2019s absence and that he wasn\u2019t getting enough face-time with voters. But Espinoza shrugged it off.<\/p>\n Polling suggests that James Talarico could beat Ken Paxton in November.<\/p>\n Joel Angel Juarez\/REUTERS<\/p>\n \u201cLook, he\u2019s got, like, $80 million of ads going right now. So I think that\u2019s pretty good scale for him at the moment,\u201d he told the outlet. \u201cHe may be recovering at home, but he is still everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox<\/p>\n Kendall Scudder, the state\u2019s Democratic Party chair, admitted Talarico\u2019s hiatus has given Paxton \u201ca little bit of a break.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has openly insulted Paxton on multiple occasions while simultaneously endorsing him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s certainly not ideal, but we want to make sure he does everything he needs to to make sure that he\u2019s healthy and ready to go. We\u2019re in the homestretch, and it sounds like he\u2019s on the mend, and that\u2019s great news,\u201d Scudder told NBC News. \u201cHe\u2019s a phenomenal candidate, he\u2019s been working really hard for a long time, and everyone gets sick every now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n The Daily Beast has reached out to the Talarico campaign for comment.<\/p>\n Paxton has privately admitted he’s frustrated with Trump.<\/p>\n Evan Vucci\/Evan Vucci, Reuters<\/p>\n Talarico, 37, had first announced his diagnosis during a forum for the Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30, which he had attended virtually.<\/p>\n \u201cI was ready to eat my favorite quesadilla tacos, but I was starting to feel kind of under the weather a few days ago, and last night it got so bad that I went to the urgent care here in Dallas,\u201d he said on Zoom during the forum. \u201cI guess I\u2019ve been shaking too many hands on the campaign trail, and so I want to keep everybody safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Paxton, 63, and President Donald Trump, 80, have capitalized on the opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t seen him in a couple of weeks,\u201d Trump told supporters at a Wednesday rally in San Antonio. \u201cI hear the guy has disappeared. Nobody knows. You know where he is? He\u2019s sick, because he\u2019s forced to eat meat for political reasons, and he\u2019s throwing up all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n Amid a slew of attack ads shared on social media, Paxton\u2019s campaign called for Talarico to provide \u201cproof of life<\/a>\u201d and put up fake \u201cMISSING<\/a>\u201d posters of his Democratic adversary around Texas.<\/p>\n The GOP Senate hopeful posted several attack ads aimed at Talarico’s absence on Thursday.<\/p>\n The state rep has been giving Paxton a run for his money, with most recent polls showing him leading the Texas attorney general by single digits, according to The New York Times<\/a> aggregate.<\/p>\n Talarico has Republicans worried he could turn the state blue and become the state\u2019s first Democratic senator since 1993.<\/p>\n Unlock a year of full access to The Daily Beast for $35.<\/p>\n What’s IncludedUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events<\/p>\n Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime<\/p>\n What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rate – Save 47%Unlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events<\/p>\n Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime<\/p>\n Best Value<\/p>\n What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rateFull access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*Premium ad-free readingUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events<\/p>\n Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime<\/p>\n *Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack\u2019s Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Looks like you already have a subscription!<\/p>\n You’re all set!<\/p>\n Thanks for subscribing.<\/p>\n Back to plans<\/p>\n Subscription$0.00<\/p>\n Total$0.00<\/p>\n Continue with GoogleContinue with FacebookLoading subscription options Register below to read this article for free\u00a0 or subscribe SubscribeRegister<\/p>\n What’s IncludedUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events<\/p>\n Auto-renews at $5.99 monthly. Cancel anytime<\/p>\n What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rate – Save 47%Unlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events<\/p>\n Auto-renews at $59.99 yearly. Cancel anytime<\/p>\n Best Value<\/p>\n What’s IncludedDiscounted annual rateFull access to the Daily Beast Substack ($60 value)*Premium ad-free readingUnlimited access (web + app)Exclusive ad-free newslettersCommenting accessDaily crosswordSneak peek of launches & events<\/p>\n Auto-renews at $119.99 yearly. Cancel anytime<\/p>\n *Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack\u2019s Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/BDZ6W22PQNCB5GEO3TZXOTS75I.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ZATPUN2YBZGIRH64CYMRRJA6JM.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/M5WLDCPCZVEJ3IFZFPTSF6MVOY.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5VVKLCRIKNH2ZKLUGBMJD3IYPE.JPG\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/poster.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"ken](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5GCPQYSO6NGWNAS6HNK2FFRAKI.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.<\/p>\n