Security footage undercuts speculation as Texas Senate candidate James Talarico stayed home during flu recovery
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Camera images released by James Talarico's campaign show the Democratic Senate candidate at his Austin residence from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8, pushing back against rumor-mongering about his whereabouts while he recovered from the flu.
James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the Texas U.S. Senate, was absent from the campaign trail for nearly two weeks after reporting a severe case of the flu. On Monday, his campaign provided CBS News with eight timestamped security-camera images from a backyard camera at his Austin home, showing a male figure with brown hair at various times of day between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8. The footage, marked with SimpliSafe watermarks, was matched to satellite imagery of Talarico's address, confirming his presence at the residence during the period.
The images were first reported by The New York Times. In response to rumors that Talarico had traveled to a mental-health facility in Ohio, the Lindner Center of Hope publicly stated that he had never received treatment there. Talarico's campaign spokesman J.T. Ennis said the claims that the candidate was elsewhere were "a lie designed to promote a conspiracy theory" and reiterated that Talarico was recovering at home in Austin.
Talarico had last appeared publicly on Sept. 26 in Carrollton, Texas, before attending fundraisers in New York City on Sept. 28-29. He cancelled a scheduled appearance at the Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium on Oct. 1 and postponed other events through Oct. 5, citing his illness. He returned to public events on Oct. 9, greeting attendees at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and later appearing at a concert in San Antonio and in interviews with local media.
During the campaign, Republican opponent Ken Paxton and President Donald Trump referenced Talarico's absence, questioning his whereabouts. Talarico later told CBS News via text that he was feeling much better and back on the trail, and told a local NBC reporter that his illness was "nothing worse than a nasty case of the flu" and that he stayed home to avoid spreading it.