# Ken Paxton's Anti-Talarico Conspiracy

> Republican allies spread false claims James Talarico was in a mental health facility to undermine his Senate campaign.
- Title: Ken Paxton's Anti-Talarico Conspiracy · Texastribune
- Summary: Republican allies spread false claims James Talarico was in a mental health facility to undermine his Senate campaign. Texas Senate candidate James Talarico…
- Keywords: ken paxton, james talarico, texas senate, mental health facility, political conspiracy, social media misinformation, election day, texas republican party, news, local, Ken, Paxton's
- Source: Texastribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17496873/james-talarico-ken-paxton-senate-texas-mental-hospital
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ken paxton, james talarico, texas senate, mental health facility, political conspiracy, social media misinformation, election day, texas republican party, news, local
## Texas Senate Race
Republican Ken Paxton leads Democratic candidate James Talarico in polls despite Talarico's progressive record.
## False Mental Health Claim
Paxton's allies falsely claimed Talarico was being treated at a mental health facility in Ohio to undermine his campaign.
## Talarico's Flu Recovery
Talarico said he was too sick with the flu to attend in person after a campaign event near Dallas on Sept 26.
## Paxton's Attack Ads
Paxton released ads claiming Talarico was 'mentally fragile' and had a 'full-blown mental Tala-freak-out'.
## Social Media Amplification
Conservative influencers shared unverified claims Talarico was in a mental health facility after his absence from campaign events.
## False Facility Claim
A right-wing influencer claimed to have called a mental health facility and confirmed Talarico was 'just discharged this evening'.
## Talarico's Reappearance
Talarico reappeared at Austin City Limits music festival on Oct 9 after being absent for nearly two weeks.
## Facility Confirmation
Lindner Center confirmed Talarico had never been treated at their facility, debunking the false claims.
## Political Scientist View
Political scientist Kirby Goidel said speculation about Talarico's whereabouts is common in politics with little penalty for being wrong.
## State Rep. Brent Money
State Rep. Brent Money claimed Talarico's public statements show 'depraved mind' despite no knowledge of his whereabouts.
## Talarico's Campaign Response
Talarico provided home security footage to New York Times to prove his whereabouts during the false claims.
## Election Day Impact
With 20 days until Election Day, Talarico's campaign faced misinformation that could affect voter trust in his candidacy.
## Key takeaway

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico denied being treated at a mental health facility in Ohio after Republican activists falsely claimed he was having a mental breakdown.