Wire flash
Texas Democratic state Sen. James Talarico pauses campaign due to flu; Trump, GOP seize on absence
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Texas Democratic state Senator James Talarico has paused his campaign for the U.S. Senate due to the flu, leading to a 12-day absence from the campaign trail. This absence has been seized upon by Republican opponents, including former President Donald Trump, who has called for a debate between Talarico and his Republican rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Multiple news outlets, including NBC News, CNN, The Washington Post, WFAA, and The Texas Tribune, report that Talarico's illness has become a point of political attack. The Texas Tribune notes that Trump's call for a debate comes despite Paxton having previously avoided such an event. Talarico has stated, 'We don’t want this right now,' referring to the disruption caused by his illness.
Source report
NBC News — "We don't want this right now": James Talarico off the trail with the flu
CNN — Talarico's 12-day absence from trail becomes fodder for GOP in Texas Senate race
The Washington Post — Trump calls for Paxton-Talarico debate as Texas Senate race heats up
WFAA — James Talarico campaign takes break from campaign trail over illness
The Texas Tribune — In attacking Talarico for campaign absence, Trump calls for debate that Paxton has avoided
Summary
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has been absent from the campaign trail for 12 days due to illness, a development that has drawn criticism from Republican opponents and prompted former President Donald Trump to call for a debate between Talarico and incumbent Senator Ted Paxton.
Key Developments
- Talarico's absence: The candidate has been sidelined with the flu, with his campaign stating they are prioritizing his recovery.
- GOP response: Republicans have seized on the absence as a campaign issue, questioning Talarico's commitment and stamina.
- Trump's call: The former president has publicly urged a debate between Talarico and Paxton, though critics note that Paxton has thus far avoided such a face-off.
- Media coverage: Multiple outlets have reported on the situation, with some highlighting the irony of Trump demanding a debate that Paxton has not agreed to.
Source
Top stories - Google NewsWestern
Part of this Story
Talarico Returns to Texas Senate Campaign After Flu Absence, Dismisses Rumors