AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico challenged Attorney General Ken Paxton to a debate on Fox News Thursday, saying he is willing to face his Republican opponent on \u201chis home turf.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking with Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Matthew Watkins at TribFest 2026 in downtown Austin, Talarico said Paxton has \u201cbeen dodging debates all year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis handler in July said, \u2018Of course we\u2019re going to debate,\u2019 and then they declined three different invitations from local Texas TV stations,\u201d Talarico said.<\/p>\n
Talarico proposed a debate moderated by Fox News anchor Bret Baier.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go to Ken Paxton\u2019s safe space. Let\u2019s do Bret Baier on Fox News,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cI\u2019ll go into the lion\u2019s den because I know what I believe. I am proud of my record, and I\u2019m not afraid of hard questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTexans deserve answers to their questions,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cTexans deserve to make an informed choice in this really critical race. So I\u2019m challenging Ken Paxton to a game on his home turf. He\u2019s been running from accountability his whole life, and it\u2019s time to stop running.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paxton\u2019s campaign said in July it planned to debate Talarico but had not committed to a host, according to The Texas Tribune. In a statement, Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux said, \u201cOf course we are going to debate James Talarico and we look forward to engaging with potential debate hosts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talarico said his campaign has been reaching out to television stations for the past two or three months because it wants a debate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Texans deserve to see both candidates that are seeking to represent them in Washington compete and debate ideas and compare records and ask each other questions,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cI just think that is the bare minimum that voters should expect in a democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n