The Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from Texas to replace outgoing GOP incumbent John Cornyn hasn’t been seen on the campaign trail for weeks, and no one from his campaign has provided any update on his whereabouts.
James Talarico was last seen doing a virtual event on Sept. 30, but not since — though former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt offered some speculation about the Senate nominee in an X post on Friday.
“My sources are telling me Talarico is in a mental health facility. His campaign has stopped actively planning events in the vital homestretch of the campaign,” Spencer wrote.
He did not provide any further information on his source, but did add to his post.
“If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico. We should, of course, savagely mock his smug, awful campaign advisors, by all means…and while yes, of course, this would be disqualifying for Talarico’s aspirations to be a Texas Senator, we must hold empathy for anyone undergoing crisis,” Pratt continued.
“Campaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it. You need very thick skin. As much as I don’t want Talarico anywhere near government, I also don’t want wish him harm, and no political office is worth having a breakdown,” he wrote.
“His awful advisors are at fault for this. They pushed him to be something he isn’t, and it didn’t work,” he noted further.
Pratt concluded: “I’m praying that this isn’t true, and he’s OK. You want to win these fights on the battlefield of ideas, not the minefield of poor health.”
Talarico is facing off against GOP nominee and current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom President Trump endorsed over Cornyn.
Republican outside groups have begun pouring tens of millions of dollars into Texas to support Paxton after months in which Talarico held a major financial and advertising advantage.
The sudden influx marks a dramatic change in a race where national Republican organizations initially stayed largely on the sidelines despite increasing attention to the traditionally Republican state.
My sources are telling me Talarico is in a mental health facility. His campaign has stopped actively planning events in the vital homestretch of the campaign.
If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico. We should, of course, savagely mock his smug, awful campaign advisors, by all means…and while yes, of course, this would be disqualifying for Talarico’s aspirations to be a Texas Senator, we must hold empathy for anyone undergoing crisis. Campaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it. You need very thick skin. As much as I don’t want Talarico anywhere near government, I also don’t want wish him harm, and no political office is worth having a breakdown. His awful advisors are at fault for this. They pushed him to be something he isn’t, and it didn’t work.
I’m praying that this isn’t true, and he’s OK. You want to win these fights on the battlefield of ideas, not the minefield of poor health.
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) October 9, 2026
Texas PAC, a new group connected to the Senate Leadership Fund, has begun purchasing tens of millions of dollars in advertising to support Paxton.
The Texas Tribune reported that an initial purchase included roughly $32 million in broadcast television advertising across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin markets.
Punchbowl News separately reported that Texas PAC expects to spend more than $50 million overall in the state.
The Senate Leadership Fund is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and serves as one of the Republican Party’s most important outside organizations in competitive Senate races.
Its entrance comes after Trump’s political operation and groups associated with Elon Musk also began directing resources toward Paxton.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
