Texas – Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico challenged Republican opponent Ken Paxton to accept a debate after President Donald Trump called on the two candidates to face off before the November election.
“President Trump just said Ken Paxton should debate. I agree. Ball’s in your court,” Talarico wrote on X on October 8, tagging Paxton directly.
The post came after Trump called Talarico “MISSING IN ACTION” in a Truth Social message and demanded that he appear on a debate stage against Paxton, describing the Texas attorney general as “ready, willing, and able.”
The dispute has intensified as the Texas Senate race enters its final weeks before the midterm election, with the candidates yet to appear together in a debate despite repeated invitations accepted by Talarico.
Trump made the demand in a Truth Social post on October 7, following a campaign rally in San Antonio where he appeared alongside Paxton. In the message, Trump questioned Talarico’s absence from the campaign trail and urged him to debate his Republican opponent immediately.
The president’s comments came after Talarico had temporarily stepped away from in-person campaign events because of the flu, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune and The Associated Press. Talarico’s campaign said he had been diagnosed with the illness, while Paxton and Republican allies publicly questioned his absence.
At the San Antonio rally, Paxton also drew attention to Talarico’s absence, asking where his opponent was. Trump later echoed that criticism online, using the phrase “MISSING IN ACTION” and questioning what was wrong with the Democratic candidate.
Talarico’s response turned the president’s demand into another public challenge for Paxton to agree to a debate. The Democratic candidate has repeatedly called for the two contenders to appear together before voters, arguing that Texans should have an opportunity to hear directly from both candidates before casting their ballots.
According to The Texas Tribune, Talarico had accepted debate invitations from CNN, Hearst, Nexstar and WFAA. He also challenged Paxton to a Fox News debate moderated by Bret Baier in late September. The network indicated it would host the debate if both candidates agreed, but no agreement had been announced.
The debate dispute has continued despite earlier signals from Paxton’s campaign that he would participate. The Texas Tribune reported that a Paxton spokesperson said in July that the attorney general would debate Talarico, but the campaign later objected to proposed moderators. As of the latest reports, the candidates had not appeared together on a debate stage.
The Associated Press also reported that the race had largely played out through campaign advertising, with the candidates and more than a dozen outside groups spending more than $247 million on ads, according to advertising-tracking firm AdImpact.
With the November 3 election approaching, the debate question has become a point of contention in the contest for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat. Talarico’s October 8 post placed the next move on Paxton, while Trump’s public demand added pressure for the Republican nominee to respond.
No debate had been scheduled at the time of the reports, and Paxton had not publicly responded to Trump’s demand.
