Now that U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico has returned to Texas’ campaign trail, he should explain his more troubling actions as a Lone Star State lawmaker.

Talarico said nothing about anything when he vanished for 9 days, between virtual remarks to the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30 and an Oct. 9 stroll through the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Talarico claims that he had the flu. However, that hardly explains his total disappearance. Talarico is locked in a high-stakes, surprisingly tight race for a six-year Senate term. Was he too sick to campaign via Zoom or at least phone a drive-time radio show? Not even once? Really?

The hunt for the Red in October included ads—courtesy of Talarico’s Republican rival, state Attorney General Ken Paxton—that lampooned him as a missing person pictured on dairy containers. Townhall columnist Kurt Schlichter dubbed Talarico “the Milk Carton Marxist.”

With Talarico back on the hustings, voters should challenge him on his disturbing record as a Texas state representative.