Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign confirmed he will debate state Rep. James Talarico in the U.S. Senate race. Talarico, the Democratic nominee, had accepted invitations from three Texas media groups for televised debates and urged Paxton to do the same.
Debate Details
Paxton’s campaign said he plans to debate, but did not commit to a specific host. Talarico has accepted invitations from Nexstar Media Group, KXAN News, NBC News/NBC Universal/Hearst Texas, and WFAA/Tegna.
The two are running in a highly competitive U.S. Senate race that has drawn immense interest and brought record fundraising to Texas. Polls show a tight contest between the two, with most surveys since the runoff finding the candidates locked in a statistical tie.
Paxton has historically campaigned and won without participating in debates. However, his campaign said he looks forward to engaging with potential debate hosts and debating Talarico.
Campaign Strategies
Both campaigns previewed the lines of attack they would bring to a debate stage. Talarico’s campaign said he plans to press Paxton on his accumulation of wealth while in office, his impeachment trial, and the plea deal the attorney general’s office offered in a recent child sex abuse case.
The Paxton campaign wants to go after Talarico’s record on transgender athletes and state income tax, and comments he’s made on Christianity and the oil and gas industry. Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux called Talarico a “dangerous radical” whose record and agenda are “toxic and extreme”.
Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
