Talarico reappears at a music festival after 13 days 'missing in action'

On the 13th day, he reappeared. James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, returned to public view at a music festival after suspending his schedule for nearly two weeks on the eve of the midterm campaign. His rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was quick to criticize the absence, and even former President Donald Trump joked that Talarico was “missing in action.”

The Democratic candidate's campaign team attributed the suspension of his schedule to the flu, which kept him in bed. However, the GOP, labeled this "disappearance" as "a lack of respect for the voters he claims to represent."

Reappearance at the Kacey Musgraves concert

Finally, his public reappearance took place at Austin City Limits, the annual music festival held in the Texas capital, where he was seen walking around. His official social media accounts shared videos in which the candidate appears to be the true star of the event, with attendees chanting his name and stopping to shake his hand and take photos with him.

In other posts, Talarico can be seen fully recovered from what he described as "a severe case of the flu" that kept him "in bed" for 13 days enjoying the music of Kacey Musgraves from the front row at the festival. The same video shows the Democratic candidate chatting with the singer.

Paxton's response

Following his opponent's reappearance, Paxton was quick to criticize the venue and the manner chosen for his return, after canceling important events due to his "flu" and reappearing in public "at a music festival that most working Texans can't afford to attend."