Trump Urges Paxton-Talarico Debate 26 Days Before Election as Democrat Recovers From Flu
Updated
Updated · The Texas Tribune · Oct 8
Trump Urges Paxton-Talarico Debate 26 Days Before Election as Democrat Recovers From Flu
3 articles · Updated · The Texas Tribune · Oct 8
Summary
Trump used a San Antonio rally and a Truth Social post to press James Talarico to debate Ken Paxton, mocking the Democrat’s weeks-long absence from the Texas Senate campaign.
Talarico’s campaign says the Austin Democrat has been off the trail since late September after a flu diagnosis and plans to return soon, with a CNN town hall scheduled for next week.
The debate challenge quickly turned back on Paxton: Talarico has accepted four debate invitations and proposed a Fox News matchup, while Paxton has not publicly agreed to any onstage faceoff.
Paxton and his campaign have amplified Talarico’s absence with rally taunts and missing-person posters, even as Talarico’s team says he has held more than 100 public events.
The clash lands in a race Democrats see as a rare Texas opening after 32 years without a statewide win; early voting starts Oct. 19 and polls show Talarico narrowly ahead.