Election Day nears without Senate, governor debate in Texas – spectrumlocalnews.com

Election Day nears without Senate, governor debate in Texas  spectrumlocalnews.com

No general election debates would be a dramatic departure from past Texas elections. WASHINGTON — With the election only four weeks away, it has become increasingly likely that the candidates for governor and U.S. Senate in Texas will not debate. It is a major break from past elections in the state, when voters had the opportunity to see the candidates go head-to-head. Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said he believes it is unlikely there will be any debates between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa. “We're starting to run short on time to pull something together logistically, and I think it's pretty clear that there is not a strong desire on the part of particularly the Republican candidates to engage in a debate,” Wilson told Spectrum News.

“It is a tough environment for Republicans up and down the ballot, not just in Texas, but all around the country.” Wilson added, “In that kind of climate, in a Republican-leaning state like Texas, the hope for Republican candidates is they can just ride out the storm, win with perhaps reduced margins. But a one-point win is still a win, and it still gets you the office." No general election debates would be