Ken Paxton promised a must-watch debate in July, then ducked every date offered. Will he face James Talarico on Oct 6?
62% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 8 predictions cast.
Ken Paxton did not debate James Talarico on October 6, continuing a pattern in which the Republican Senate nominee declined to commit to any of the debates Talarico's campaign had accepted. The Texas Tribune reported on October 7 that most Texas Republicans, including Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott, were ignoring Democratic opponents' debate challenges altogether, with Texas potentially heading toward its first U.S. Senate race without a debate in roughly a quarter century. Talarico had accepted invitations from multiple outlets, including a forum moderated by Fox News's Bret Baier that the network agreed to host, but Paxton's campaign stopped responding to scheduling requests from station organizers, including Dallas's WFAA, which had proposed the October 6 date. Paxton has never debated an opponent in any of his statewide campaigns, including his three runs for Texas attorney general. President Trump publicly weighed in on the standoff, pressing Talarico over his opponent's absence from the debate stage.
Predict Six's community correctly anticipated this outcome, with only 38% predicting Paxton would show up. The low expectation held: the "must-watch" debate Paxton promised back in July never materialized.