Talarico Calls for Paxton Debate at Texas Town Hall

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico used a CNN-Jubilee town hall in Fort Worth to court undecided and moderate voters, emphasizing affordability, corruption and Texans’ interests. He defended his positions on abortion, immigration, energy and faith, saying voter ID should be fair and both oil and gas and renewable energy should be protected. Talarico said his nine-day campaign absence was caused by the flu, rejected online conspiracy theories, highlighted his work helping cap insulin copays and called for reversing Affordable Care Act cuts. He criticized Republican nominee Ken Paxton as corrupt and urged him to debate; Paxton declined the town hall invitation. The appearance came as polls showed a close, unusually competitive race in reliably Republican Texas and Paxton began a statewide bus tour.