Wrong city, wild rumours and suspicious powder: A strange week on the US midterm campaign trail

The US midterm election campaign has been marked by false rumours, advertising blunders and security scares as candidates prepare for the November 3 vote. — AFP pic

First Published: Sunday, 18 Oct 2026 7:00 AM MYT

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 — This week in US politics, a candidate with the flu fell victim to a false rumour, a campaign ad aired in the wrong city, and packages with suspicious powder were mailed to election officials.

Here are some campaign highlights compiled by AFP ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.

Real flu, false rumour

James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, denied rumours that he had been secretly hospitalised in an Ohio psychiatric facility, calling it “the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

The 37-year-old candidate, who is neck-and-neck in a race in the Republican stronghold, actually had the flu, causing him to withdraw from campaign events for about a week.

Online conspiracy theories posted on social media by prominent right-wing users claimed Talarico was at an Ohio clinic because he had a mental health crisis.

The posts were amplified by his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton, and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

The facility in question confirmed that the candidate had never been there.

Talarico pointed out that he had participated in campaign events via videoconference while suffering from the flu and also attended a concert in Dallas during the time in question.

The episode was “a good reminder that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet,” Talarico said.

Which Portland? 

A Republican campaign committee spent over US$25,000 (RM102,000) to run an ad against a Democratic candidate — in the wrong state.

The ad was shown in Portland, Oregon, not in Portland, Maine, on the other side of the country.

The advertising agency has since acknowledged its mistake and refunded the money.

The team of Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson, targeted by these ads, was quick to seize the opportunity.

His Republican opponent Susan Collins and her allies “are so out of touch with Maine, they apparently can’t find it on a map,” a spokesperson quipped to The New York Times.

Trump showers voters with money 

Just weeks before the midterm elections, Donald Trump has found a way to try to address some US voter concerns about the cost of living: handing out cash.

In addition to a US$5,000 “dividend” he promised to pay to every voter if Republicans win the election — a measure whose legality and funding are questionable at best — his administration has begun sending US$500 checks to nearly one million Americans.

The sum has been touted as reimbursement for Obamacare health insurance costs that were allegedly too high under Joe Biden’s presidency.

The Republican billionaire also announced US$90 payments to more than 20 million seniors to offset Medicare contributions, the US health insurance program for those over 65.

“If you want to BUY midterm votes, maybe start by not gutting everyone’s health care in the first place,” suggested Democratic Senator Ron Wyden.

Suspicious substances 

Authorities are investigating a series of letters containing suspicious substances sent to congressional and election offices in several states, US media reported.

Packages containing white powder led to the evacuation of election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma this week.

Six workers in Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres in New York were exposed to white powder found in a letter on Friday, CBS News reported. The substance was determined to be harmless.

The mailings are reminiscent of other incidents during previous elections, when election offices received letters containing a white powder and, in some cases, traces of fentanyl, a potentially deadly opioid. — AFP