Free Republic

Democratic star James Talarico has taken a nearly two-week hiatus from the campaign trail amid the final push before the midterms, causing Democrats to sound the alarm. The Texas state representative has been absent from in-person campaign events for 12 days after contracting the flu, giving his scandal-ridden Trump-endorsed opponent, Ken Paxton, ammunition ahead of the crucial election on Nov. 3. “He’s, like, really sick. Believe me, we don’t want this right now,” a Texas Democrat affiliated with the Talarico race told NBC News. “We’d rather have him on the trail.”

Everybody knows what the last weeks of a political campaign are like: phones ringing constantly, chaotic activity, exhausting twenty-hour days, racing from one rally or speech to the next. An all-out, pedal-to-the-metal effort by all hands. So why, with the first plausible chance at snagging a Texas Senate seat for the Democrats in a generation at risk, has James Talarico ceased campaigning at all? It’s going on two weeks since Talarico dropped out of sight. His last public appearance was 13 days ago during fundraising trips to LA and New York City. The last confirmed sighting was on September 26...