The two Democrats vying for their chance to take on incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott in November are in the midst of a public push for a debate.
Andrew White, a Houston businessman, called for a debate with former Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez prior to the March 6th Democratic primary. Valdez did not agree to a debate and a debate has not yet been held.
However, since the conclusion of the March 6th election, pressure has been growing for the two candidates to meet on a debate stage. Over the past week, Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic Party's nominee for the U.S. Senate, and Justin Nelson, the Democratic nominee for attorney general ,have both urged Valdez and White to debate.
"I really don’t know enough about the two candidates, and the best way that I know is to have them each answer the same questions and be on the same stage and be able to understand what the difference is," O'Rourke said at rally on Sunday, according to the Austin American Statesman.
Nelson also weighed in on a possible debate over the weekend, saying that while he will support his party's nominee in November, he would like to know where the candidates stand on the issues.
“I’ll be proud to support whoever comes out of the primary, but I, for one, would like to see a debate, and I think I speak for a majority of people who are going to vote in this primary that they want to see them have a real discussion of the issues,” Nelson said. “I think in the service of democracy, debates are vital, so I think we should embrace that.”
Valdez's campaign has reportedly said that it is interested in participating in a debate with White, but that the Dallas sheriff would like to wait until closer to the runoff, according to the Statesman.
The winner of the White, Valdez primary will face Greg Abbott in November. Voters will decide the primary runoff on May 22nd.
