Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged that Democratic nominee James Talarico left the state for secret medical treatment after the state representative said he was home with the flu. Talarico’s campaign then allowed a New York Times reporter to review time-stamped images from security cameras at his home.
The images, reviewed by Times reporter Bayliss Wagner, showed Talarico near the outside of the house and at its entrances between October 1 and October 8. The campaign shared the images on the condition that they not be published, citing security reasons. Wagner wrote that the footage matched what Talarico had said about staying home to recover.
Paxton and several right-wing influencers had questioned the absence. Some claimed Talarico had gone for mental health treatment. Other online theories suggested he sought a transgender medical procedure. Paxton called for “proof of life” while Talarico was off the campaign trail for nearly two weeks.
Security camera images reviewed after online claims about Talarico’s absence
The Senate race between Talarico and Paxton has drawn large amounts of spending and sharp attacks, including Paxton mocking his sick opponent. Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary after receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump. The primary went to a runoff, used up campaign money, and brought attention to long-running legal and personal controversies involving Paxton.
Leaked audio clips later surfaced in which Paxton criticized the effect of Trump’s midterm GOP convention on his poll numbers. In the recordings, Paxton said Washington was controlling his campaign and described Trump’s Iran War along with related affordability issues as his campaign’s “biggest problem.” He also said Cornyn “wants me to lose.”
After the flu announcement, online claims that Talarico allegedly had a mental breakdown spread quickly. A medical facility named in some of the theories issued a statement saying Talarico had never been a patient there. Talarico then appeared at a music festival in Austin, where he smiled and shook hands with people in attendance.
The episode also drew attention to Talarico’s repeated calls for Paxton to debate him, which Paxton has not agreed to do. Wagner later posted about her article, writing, “I would explain why I went to the trouble of writing a story on this, but if you were on this website, you already know.” She pointed to what she called a “Wild West of misinformation” fed by distrust of politicians and mainstream news outlets plus algorithms that reward extreme claims.
The security images covered the period Talarico said he was recovering at home. No further details from the footage have been released publicly.
Published: Oct 13, 2026 08:00 am