Texas – James Talarico escalated his criticism of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton this week, accusing the Texas attorney general of avoiding public scrutiny as he challenged him to participate in three statewide televised debates ahead of November’s election.
“Ken Paxton’s handlers claim he’s willing to debate, but every time a reporter asks a question, he literally runs away,” Talarico said in a statement released by his campaign. “He hasn’t set foot on a debate stage in over a decade and refuses to answer the public’s questions because he’s not a public servant — he’s a puppet.”
The Democratic nominee announced that he has accepted invitations from three Texas media organizations to participate in debates scheduled for Sept. 22 in the Rio Grande Valley, Oct. 6 in Dallas, and Oct. 13 in Austin. According to Talarico’s campaign, the events would be hosted by NBC/Telemundo/Hearst, WFAA/TEGNA, and KXAN/Nexstar, respectively.
Talarico said the debate schedule has already been established and challenged Paxton to appear.
“Debate times and locations have been set. I’ve accepted,” Talarico said. “We’ll see if Ken Paxton has the courage to show up, or if he’ll run away like usual.”
In a video released by his campaign, Talarico said Paxton had not yet accepted any of the debate invitations and argued that voters deserve direct answers from candidates seeking statewide office.
“When I get tough questions, I answer them. When Ken Paxton gets tough questions, he runs away — literally runs away from reporters, from voters, from anyone asking hard questions,” Talarico said.
He also renewed criticism of Paxton over several controversies that have defined the attorney general’s political career, including allegations surrounding a controversial plea agreement in a child sexual abuse case, whistleblower accusations from former senior staff members who reported Paxton to the FBI, and questions about his personal finances and real estate holdings.
“If you’ve given an Epstein-style sweetheart deal to an admitted child predator, you should have to answer the public’s questions,” Talarico said. “If you were reported to the FBI for bribery by your own staff, you should have to answer the public’s questions. If you become a multi-millionaire on a government salary and now own 15 homes on the public’s dime, then you should have to answer the public’s questions.”
The debate challenge comes as one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races continues to attract national attention. Paxton, who defeated longtime U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary after receiving President Donald Trump’s endorsement, is seeking to keep the seat in Republican hands. Talarico, a Democratic state representative from Austin, emerged from a competitive Democratic primary and has positioned himself as a younger alternative focused on ethics and government accountability, AP News reported.
The debate issue has become a recurring point of contention throughout the campaign. While Talarico has repeatedly argued that Paxton has avoided debating opponents in recent statewide races, Paxton’s campaign previously stated that the attorney general intends to debate his Democratic opponent. However, the campaign has not publicly committed to the three debate dates announced by Talarico’s team.
When Talarico first issued the debate challenge earlier this month, Paxton campaign senior adviser Nick Maddux said the Republican nominee planned to debate but criticized Talarico’s record, calling him a “serial liar” and accusing him of misleading Texas voters about his policy positions. The campaign indicated it was still discussing debate arrangements with media organizations rather than committing to a specific schedule.
Political observers have described the race as one of the most competitive statewide contests Texas has seen in years. Recent polling has suggested a close contest between the two candidates, while campaign finance reports show Talarico holding a significant fundraising advantage, though Paxton continues to benefit from strong support among Republican voters and Trump’s endorsement.
For Talarico, the debate challenge is part of a broader campaign message centered on transparency and accountability.
“But he’s asking for your vote and your trust,” Talarico said of Paxton. “The people of Texas deserve answers.”
As of Wednesday’s announcement, Talarico said he had accepted all three televised debate invitations and was waiting for Paxton to confirm whether he would appear alongside him on stage this fall.
