Texas U.S. Senate 2026 debates: what was announced and what each campaign said
The debate schedule as reported by news outlets, with what each campaign said at the time. Dates are publication dates of the linked reports; a scheduled debate is not a confirmed appearance.
- “The attorney general beat Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt for the Republican nomination earlier this year in a contest that featured no debates between the candidates.” — KWTX — “UPDATE: Dates and locations for three Talarico-Paxton debates are set” · published Jul 16, 2026
- ““Of course we are going to debate James Talarico and we look forward to engaging with potential debate hosts,” Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux said in a statement.” — The Texas Tribune — “Ken Paxton says he'll debate James Talarico in Texas Senate race” · published Jul 16, 2026
- “The debates are scheduled to begin Sept. 22 in the Rio Grande Valley, hosted by NBC, Telemundo and Hearst Television. Two additional debates are planned for October: one hosted by WFAA and TEGNA Inc. in Dallas on Oct. 6, followed by a debate hosted by KXAN-TV and Nexstar Media Group in Austin on Oct. 13.” — Houston Chronicle — “Paxton-Talarico debate is coming—but will both candidates show?” · published Jul 29, 2026
- “Both major party candidates have said they want to debate at least once before the Nov. 3 election, but the deadline to agree to the first proposed matchup, sponsored in part by Hearst Newspapers, passed on Wednesday without a commitment from Paxton.” — Austin American-Statesman — “Ken Paxton snubs debate invite from Hearst and NBC/Telemundo” · published Aug 12, 2026
- “But Paxton had not committed to any debates as of Thursday. WFAA, whose debate invitation Talarico accepted, reported Tuesday that Paxton’s campaign had not responded to messages since Aug. 24 after communicating with station management “for weeks to organize a potential debate.”” — The Texas Tribune — “James Talarico challenges Ken Paxton to Fox News debate” · published Sep 24, 2026
- “On Sept. 2, Talarico accepted another debate invitation from CNN. In response, Maddux said, “no Texan wants to watch James Talarico and two of his fellow far-left activists posing as moderators spew left-wing talking points in a ‘debate,’ or what they would try to turn into a CCP-style struggle session.”” — The Texas Tribune — “James Talarico challenges Ken Paxton to Fox News debate” · published Sep 24, 2026
- “With just over three weeks left before early voting, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico on Thursday challenged his GOP opponent Ken Paxton to a debate moderated by Fox News’ Bret Baier.” — The Texas Tribune — “James Talarico challenges Ken Paxton to Fox News debate” · published Sep 24, 2026