India, Oct. 12 -- Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has dismissed speculation about his recent absence from the campaign trail, saying he was recovering from a severe bout of flu as his race against Republican Ken Paxton intensifies ahead of the November election.

"I just had the flu, and I feel much better," Talarico told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth in an interview on Sunday, October 11, rejecting online claims that he had taken time away from campaigning for mental health treatment.

The Texas lawmaker returned to in-person campaigning on Friday after his last in-person event in the state on September 26. He had addressed a forum virtually on September 30, saying he was unwell.

"I was in bed, drinking lots of liquids," Talari...