Texas Senate Race: Debate Calls Surface as Election Nears
Texas Senate candidates Ken Paxton and James Talarico clash over debate plans as Election Day approaches.
2 min read
With just 13 days remaining until Election Day, Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton has opened the door to a debate with Democratic rival James Talarico, though the terms remain unclear. Paxton told TMZ that he would debate Talarico if the conditions were met, but he has yet to specify what those terms would be. “Look, if the terms were right, I’d have no problem,” Paxton said. However, he made it clear he would not want a CNN reporter covering the debate, which had initially been discussed.
Ken Paxton shares a bag of beef jerky with TMZ DC’s @hicharliecotton and reveals what it would take for him to debate his opponent, James Talarico. https://t.co/cNDP1zHdei
President Donald Trump previously praised Paxton for being “ready, willing and able” to debate, a claim Paxton said was always true. Talarico, however, has been more direct, challenging Paxton to debate at any time or place, even offering to host the event on Fox News. “Well, I mean, Ken Paxton has refused to debate, and that’s pretty low-T behavior in my book,” Talarico said. He also suggested TMZ might be the ideal host for the debate, as he claimed it had a better chance of reaching Paxton than other journalists.
🚨 James Talarico is taking Ken Paxton up on his offer to debate under the right conditions, and he’s proposing the perfect venue: a TMZ-hosted showdown.
Early voting has already begun in Texas, with preliminary reports showing record turnout in several North Texas counties, including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton. Both candidates are actively campaigning across the state, with the race seen as a key contest for Senate control. Talarico currently holds a two-point lead in the RealClearPolitics polling average, posing a threat to Republicans who have not faced a statewide defeat in Texas in decades.
TMZ also pressed Paxton on the possibility of losing, asking if he would feel “ashamed” for not securing a victory. Paxton responded by reaffirming his confidence in the campaign and the voters. “I know that I’ve worked hard, and I know that we have done everything that we possibly could to make sure that we win the race,” he said. “I truly believe we’re going to win this race, but in the end, it’s the voters that decide.” The Cook Political Report has labeled the race as a toss-up.
Source: Daily Wire
