James Talarico Challenges Ken Paxton to Three Televised Debates Ahead of Texas Senate Race
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is challenging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to participate in three televised debates, saying voters deserve direct answers about Paxton’s record and controversies ahead of the 2026 election.
Talarico announced Thursday that he has accepted debate invitations from three Texas media organizations and is urging Paxton to do the same. The invitations were extended by Nexstar Media Group and KXAN News, NBC News/NBCUniversal/Hearst Texas, and WFAA/TEGNA.
Abbott and Paxton’s Participation is Unknown
At the same time Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has officially accepted an invitation to participate in a statewide gubernatorial debate this fall and is calling on incumbent Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to do the same.
The debate, hosted by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations in Texas and Hearst Newspapers in Texas, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15, in Fort Worth. The one-hour event will be broadcast statewide in both English and Spanish. Abbott has yet to accept.
Talarico Calls for Public Accountability
In a statement, Talarico criticized Paxton for avoiding public debates and accused him of failing to answer questions from Texas voters.
Related: Hinojosa Calls on Greg Abbott to Accept October Debate
“Ken Paxton’s billionaire handlers won’t let him answer questions in public. It’s why he hasn’t set foot on a debate stage in over a decade,” Talarico said. “I’m challenging Ken Paxton to three televised debates. I’ll be on that debate stage because I answer to the people of Texas.”
Talarico also argued that Paxton should address several issues during the debates, including his personal finances, impeachment, relationships with major political donors, and a recently criticized plea agreement involving Adam Hoffman.
Campaign Targets Paxton’s Record
The Talarico campaign said Paxton should publicly respond to questions regarding:
- A plea agreement involving Adam Hoffman that critics have described as an “Epstein-style sweetheart deal.”
- How Paxton accumulated significant personal wealth while serving in public office. Legal actions taken by the Attorney General’s Office affecting health care, overtime protections and public assistance programs. Whether major political donors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks influenced decisions surrounding Paxton’s 2023 impeachment proceedings.
The campaign also accused Paxton of avoiding debates for more than a decade and referenced previous legal and political controversies.
Paxton Has Not Responded
As of Thursday, Paxton’s campaign had not publicly announced whether he will participate in any of the proposed debates.
With both Democratic challengers accepting their debate invitations, attention now turns to whether Republicans, Abbott and Paxton, will join them on stage. As of publication, neither Republican campaign had publicly responded to the invitations.
Read Next: “He’s Failed the Character Test”: Talarico and Paxton Locked in Tight Senate Race
