Texas Republican Candidates Decline Statewide Midterm Debate Requests

Republican candidates for statewide office in Texas are largely avoiding televised debates during the current midterm election cycle. Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, has declined all invitations despite previous claims from his spokesperson that he would participate. His Democratic opponent, James Talarico, has challenged Paxton to a forum, stating that Paxton "refuses to answer the public’s questions because he’s not a public servant — he’s a puppet."

Similarly, Governor Greg Abbott has declined repeated calls to debate Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa. This marks a shift from Abbott's history of participating in gubernatorial debates. Hinojosa has criticized the avoidance, claiming Abbott is "trying to hide from his record."

Other Democratic candidates, including Vikki Goodwin and Nathan Johnson, have also urged their GOP counterparts to meet on stage. The only potential exception is the railroad commissioner race, where Democrat Jon Rosenthal announced a scheduled debate with Republican Bo French for October 22, though French has not yet publicly confirmed the date.