State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in a competitive Texas Senate race, was absent from public events for nine days in early October. Conservative social media accounts and Republican officials, including his opponent Ken Paxton and President Trump, questioned his whereabouts, with some claiming he had been treated at a mental health facility in Ohio.
The Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, said Talarico has never received treatment there. Talarico and his campaign said he was recovering from the flu, and he appeared by video at a Sept. 30 event to explain he had been diagnosed at an urgent care clinic in Dallas. Photos reviewed by the Associated Press showed him at home during the week in question.
Talarico has type 1 diabetes, which makes him more vulnerable to severe flu complications. He told an NBC affiliate he was feeling much better and called the rumors "not true." The false claims highlight how quickly health misinformation can spread during a high-stakes political campaign.