Watch: Talarico Personally Responds on Why He Was Missing, and the Lindner Center Weighs In

The big story this week has been why Democrat Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has been missing since September 30, when he appeared on a Zoom call, and then did not show up until appearing at the Austin City Limits Festival on Friday, October 9. 

His campaign denied a report that he had been at the Lindner Center for Hope, a mental health facility in Ohio, saying he was home in Austin with the flu. 

Now Talarico has responded to some questions from Phil Prazan, who is a reporter with NBC DFW. 

I spoke with Rep. James Talarico earlier today in Dallas. I ask him about: -getting the flu -the claim he was getting treatment for a stress-induced episode -a debate update More tonight at 5 and 10 pm. https://t.co/uqhaXHcmtv

— Phil Prazan (@PhilPrazan)      October 11, 2026

He said all he had was a bad case of the flu. But Prazan asked him about being a diabetic and how bad it got. "Did you ever have to go to a doctor or a hospital?" Prazan asked. 

In response, Talarico said no; he just went to his primary care physician, and it wasn't worse than a nasty case of the flu. 

But on September 30, when he was telling people he was sick and couldn't show up for an event, he said he had to go to an urgent care facility in Dallas. That doesn't sound like his "primary care physician" since he lives in Austin. 

James Talarico 2 weeks ago: “I went to the urgent care here in Dallas.” Now he’s saying he only visited his primary care physician. What is Talarico hiding? https://t.co/eYvL9Ynprt

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 11, 2026

Talarico denied any "stress-induced episode," saying, "That's not true. I just had the flu...but it's a good reminder you can't believe everything you read on the internet." 

Then Talarico tried to flip the script on his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming, "I hear he has a rare medical condition that causes clinical levels of cowardice." He said Paxton had asked for "proof of life" from him; he said he was asking for "proof of spine" from Paxton. 

But Paxton wasn't missing. He also didn't miss 800+ votes like Talarico did in the Texas legislature, in addition to whatever was happening over this period in question. 

The Lindner Center for Hope has now also weighed in on the question of whether Talarico was there, with a statement on X. 

Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope.

— Lindner Center HOPE (@LindnerCtrHope) October 11, 2026

"Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope," their X account said. 

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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