The Texas U.S. Senate race just got a little more intense. During a campaign rally in San Antonio on Wednesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spent some time questioning where his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, has been. Paxton even led the crowd in a "Where is Talarico?" chant, noting that the candidate hasn't been spotted on the campaign trail for 11 days.
President Donald Trump also got in on the act, repeatedly bringing up Talarico’s absence while stumping for Paxton. At one point, the president even cracked a joke about Talarico’s diet, suggesting without proof that he got sick from eating meat for political appearances.
The campaign strikes back
It’s giving messy, but Talarico’s team wasn’t having it. Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis clarified that Talarico hasn't been ghosting voters—he’s just been down with the flu. Ennis confirmed that the candidate has already crushed over 100 public events this cycle and expects to be back on the trail this weekend.
Ennis also went on the offensive, claiming that Paxton is "ignoring Texans" and is more focused on his billionaire megadonors than the actual people of the state.
Why it matters
With the midterm elections less than a month away, the Senate seat is a huge priority for both parties. Trump used the San Antonio stop to emphasize that maintaining GOP control in Congress is a must-win situation. Early voting in Texas kicks off October 19, so every day on the trail counts as the final stretch approaches.
