By Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas TribuneJuly 16, 2026WASHINGTON — Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign said he would debate state Rep. James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race after Talarico challenged him to do so Thursday morning. “I’ll be on that debate stage because I answer to the people of Texas,” Talarico said in a statement. The Paxton campaign confirmed it had received the same debate invitations as Talarico. While the Republican did not commit to a specific host, his campaign said the attorney general plans to debate. “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.