The Texas Senate race may soon have its first debate of 2026, as long as one candidate agrees to show up. President Trump called for a Paxton-Talarico debate on Wednesday night. However, the candidate he was trying to help is the one who has been ducking the stage.
After a rally for Republican nominee Ken Paxton in San Antonio, Trump posted on Truth Social that Democrat James Talarico should “immediately report to a Debate Stage against Ken Paxton, who is ready, willing, and able.” The Washington Post reported the call on Thursday. Talarico, meanwhile, said yes within hours. Paxton won his spot by beating a sitting senator, as our coverage of his Republican primary win showed.
Talarico Says Yes to the Paxton-Talarico Debate
Talarico fired back on X: “President Trump just said Ken Paxton should debate. I agree. Ball’s in your court @KenPaxtonTX.” That is the easiest layup of his campaign.
Trump’s post was also a jab. He called Talarico “MISSING IN ACTION,” a reference to the Democrat’s absence from the trail. Talarico said doctors diagnosed him with the flu. His last public event was a Sept. 28 fundraiser in New York, according to The Hill. His spokesperson says he has held more than 100 public events and will return soon.
Paxton leaned into the absence at the Freeman Coliseum rally. He asked the crowd where “they hid that little socialist” and led a chant of “Where is James Talarico?” Per the Houston Chronicle, his campaign has also put up missing-person posters.
The Texas Senate Debate Paxton Has Not Agreed To
Here is the part the rally chants skipped. Talarico says he has already accepted five invitations. Other outlets count at least four. Either way, Paxton has declined or ignored most of them. In fact, his campaign stopped answering WFAA about organizing a debate after Aug. 24.
Fox News has offered to host, but only “if both candidates commit to appearing,” the Chronicle reported. So far, Paxton has not responded. NBC News said his campaign did not immediately comment on Trump’s call. Meanwhile, the Texas Tribune noted that Paxton skipped debates in his last three attorney general runs.
That history matters for any Paxton-Talarico debate. Every Texas Senate race since 2002 has had at least one debate, and the last one without any was 2000.
Why This Race Is Close and Why Voters Care
This race is close. A Fox News poll of likely voters had Talarico ahead 51 to 49. The New York Times/Siena poll had him up 51 to 45, though some experts say that result is out of step with other surveys. The RealClearPolling average shows Talarico at 48.4 and Paxton at 45.3.
Democrats have not won a Texas statewide race in 32 years, and this seat could help decide Senate control. The 2026 midterms could reshape Congress, so the question is not just who debates well. It is whether Texans get to watch the two men answer the same questions.
Even Republican strategist Karl Rove has said that if Paxton does not debate, “he loses.” Talarico, for his part, told the Texas Tribune Festival he would “go into the lions’ den.”
What Happens Next in the Senate Debate in Texas
Talarico’s campaign says he returns to the trail this weekend. He is also set for a CNN town hall in Fort Worth on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m., and Paxton has been invited. Early voting starts Oct. 19, and Election Day is Nov. 3. As a result, a Paxton-Talarico debate would have to come soon.
Trump just handed Paxton a public reason to say yes. The only question left is whether he takes it before the empty podium becomes the closing argument.
