‘I just had the flu’: James Talarico shoots down conservative speculation about his absence from the trail

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico addressed his recent absence from the campaign trail Sunday, saying it was nothing but a “nasty case of the flu.” “I was in bed, drinking lots of liquids. Unfortunately, the campaign made me work from home, so I didn’t even get full days off. But I didn’t want to be out on the trail, and I didn’t want to get anyone else sick. It’s important, I think, for leaders to be responsible in these moments. And I’m glad to be back. I’m feeling much better,” he told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth in an interview. Talarico returned to the campaign trail Friday; his last in-person event in the state had been Sept. 26, and on Sept. 30, he spoke at a forum virtually, saying he wasn’t feeling well. In his absence, some conservatives speculated that he was taking a break for mental health reasons.