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Trump says Paxton should debate Talarico
President Donald Trump is putting pressure on Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton to hold a debate with his opponent, Democratic nominee James Talarico. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
DALLAS - Republican Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a tipline Friday, asking supporters for sightings of his Democratic rival and state Rep. James Talarico.
What we know:
It’s a narrative that the Paxton camp has seized on this week after Talarico attended an event virtually instead of in person and canceled other campaign stops. He even brought it up during a campaign stop with President Donald Trump in San Antonio this week.
People who call the tipline (833-569-9258) hear a voice that recounts the number of days Talarico has been off the stump trail, asks them to leave a message if they’ve seen the Democrat and reminds them to vote for Paxton.
Trump calls for debate between Talarico and Paxton, who has resisted previous calls
President Donald Trump on Wednesday night called for a debate between the two leading candidates in the Texas Senate race.
What they're saying:
"We’ve tried posters. We’ve tried a formal proof-of-life request. Now we’re asking every Texan to help bring Jimmy home," Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for the Paxton camp said in a statement. "If you spot James Talarico in Texas, call the tip line. If you spot him at a Hollywood fundraiser, don’t bother. We already know he’ll show up for those. Texans shouldn’t need a hotline to find the man asking for their vote."
Talarico campaign says he has the flu
Representatives of Talarico said his absence is easily explained – he’s sick.
The other side:
"After holding more than 100 public events and meeting with tens of thousands of supporters, James came down with the flu but will be back on the trail soon," JT Ennis, spokesperson for the Talarico campaign, said in a statement. "Ken Paxton has spent this campaign hiding from everyone -- running away from reporters’ questions and ducking repeated offers to debate James Talarico, even on Fox News. While James was meeting with Texans all summer, Ken Paxton was on a luxurious European vacation. Paxton has been ignoring Texans this entire campaign, and his priorities are clear: he doesn’t answer to the people of this state – he answers to his billionaire megadonors and special interests."
Ken Paxton (left) and James Talarico (right) speak at campaign events in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 21, 2026. (FOX 4)
Razor-thin margins
Big picture view:
Polls continue to show the Texas Senate race is tight, with the candidates inside the margin of error in most surveys.
Early voting in Texas begins Oct. 19. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Who leads 2026 Texas Senate race? Paxton vs. Talarico poll tracker
Polls have shown the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Texas is in a dead heat.
The Source: Information in this story came from a press release issued by Ken Paxton, a statement issued by the Talarcio campaign on Tuesday and previous FOX Local reporting.