DALLAS – Ted Cruz’s campaign responded to Beto O’Rourke’s call for debates by proposing five across the state – the first one about a month away in Dallas.
In April, O’Rourke’s campaign manager, Jody Casey, reached out to the Cruz campaign to request six debates. O’Rourke’s campaign proposed six debates, two of them in Spanish.
Though Cruz has said he will debate, campaign manager Jeff Roe’s letter to O’Rourke’s team offers the first specifics of what the Cruz campaign wants.
“As Senator Cruz has long believed, our democratic process is best served by presenting a clear and substantive contrast of competing policy ideas, and these five debates will be an excellent way for both you and the Senator to share your respective visions with Texas voters in the weeks leading up to the November election,” Roe wrote.
Debate 1: The Evening of August 31, 2018
• Dallas, Texas
• Jobs/Taxes/Federal Regulations/National Economy
• Podium format
Debate 2: The Evening of September 14, 2018
• McAllen, Texas
• Immigration/Border Security/Criminal Justice/Supreme Court
• Seated format
Debate 3: The Evening of September 21, 2018
• San Antonio, Texas
• Foreign Policy/National Security
• Townhall format
Debate 4: The Evening of October 5, 2018
• Houston, Texas
• Energy/Trade/Texas Economy
• Podium format
Debate 5: The Evening of October 12, 2018
• Lubbock, Texas
• Healthcare/Obamacare
• Townhall format
All five debates proposed by Cruz are on Friday nights, “because the Senate is expected to be in session during that time,” Roe wrote.
"I am encouraged that Sen. Cruz has decided that he’s ready to debate the issues. Our campaign looks forward to working with his campaign to finalize mutually agreed upon details," said Beto O'Rouke.
Though polls show O’Rourke trailing Cruz slightly, the Democratic congressman from El Paso has significantly outperformed Cruz in fundraising and created momentum for Democrats across the state.
