Newsweek, October 2026
For much of his political career, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has avoided political debates with his rivals. That strategy has so far continued, with Paxton having yet to agree to a single debate against his Democratic opponent, James Talarico. Yet, with just weeks to go until Election Day, the pressure is building in a closely contested race for U.S. Senate in Texas. A series of recent polls have found Talarico either narrowly ahead of or locked in a statistical dead heat with the scandal-plagued Republican nominee. This has raised concerns that the Democrats, in their bid to win a Senate majority, could triumph in a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1988.
Paxton and almost every Republican nominee for a statewide seat in Texas appear to be avoiding debating their opponents this cycle. President Donald Trump’s slipping approval ratings amid the Iran war and rising gas prices have threatened Republicans in almost every state, according to recent national polling averages. Talarico, a state lawmaker from Austin, has been calling for a debate with Paxton for months. He publicly challenged Paxton in July to three televised debates. He said that Paxton’s “handlers claim he’s willing to debate, but every time a reporter asks a question, he literally runs away.” Last month, Talarico invited Paxton to debate him on Fox News.
