![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Talarico20and20Paxton.jpg\" "\\"Texas")
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and State Rep. James Talarico are running against each other for U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
Amanda McCoy (left image) and John Moore (right image)<\/p>\n
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (left image) and Getty Images (right image)<\/p>\n
Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton are expected to face each other in a debate, as they vie to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n
The development in the high-profile statewide race comes after Talarico on Thursday challenged Ken Paxton to three televised debates. Paxton\u2019s campaign has responded that the Texas attorney general will debate<\/a> his Nov. 3 foe, who represents the Austin area in the Texas House of Representatives.<\/p>\n Three media groups, the including the Star-Telegram\u2019s media partner WFAA, have formally invited the Senate candidates to debate, according to Talarico\u2019s campaign. Talarico has accepted the invitations, his campaign said.<\/p>\n \u201cKen Paxton won\u2019t answer the public\u2019s questions because he\u2019s not a public servant \u2014 he\u2019s a puppet,\u201d Talarico said in a statement. \u201cBut I want him to prove me wrong. I\u2019m challenging Ken Paxton to three televised debates. I\u2019ll be on that debate stage because I answer to the people of Texas. Ken Paxton answers to his billionaire mega-donors. We\u2019ll see if they let him show up.\u201d<\/p>\n Paxton\u2019s campaign said the attorney general will debate Talarico.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course we are going to debate James Talarico, and we look forward to engaging with potential debate hosts,\u201d Paxton\u2019s senior adviser Nick Maddux said in a statement.<\/p>\n He described Talarico as a \u201cdangerous radical whose record and agenda is so toxic and extreme that he has to hide it behind carefully scripted lies.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look forward to voters getting to learn about the real James Talarico,\u201d Maddux said.<\/p>\n Paxton\u2019s campaign declined to elaborate on which debates Paxton plans to participate in and whether they\u2019ll be televised. In an email, Maddux said there are always negotiations between campaigns and potential debate hosts, and that the campaign is engaging in that process.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s great,\u201d Talarico told the Star-Telegram, when asked about Paxton reportedly agreeing to debate. \u201cWe challenged Ken Paxton this morning to three televised debates, and I hope he accepts all three so that he can answer questions directly from Texans. I think a lot of Texans have really deep concerns about Ken Paxton\u2019s record of corruption, and I\u2019m glad that he\u2019s agreed to answer those questions in a public, televised debate.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 11:42 AM.<\/p>\n Eleanor Dearman<\/a><\/p>\n Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She\u2019s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years.
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