US Midterm Senate Debates: Republicans Distance Themselves from Trump, No Debates in Texas

Ahead of the US midterm elections this November, in which seats in the Senate and House of Representatives are contested, Republican candidates face the question they have been asked since 2016: how closely do they align with President Donald Trump? It matters because the result will determine which party controls the Senate.

According to the BBC, conservatives who have broken with the president in the past have generally fared poorly with voters. Trump has had low approval ratings in recent months, and polls suggest voters are mainly worried about the cost of living and high fuel prices. A Reuters analysis found that two-thirds of candidates in competitive Senate and House races have broken with the president on some issue this election cycle.

Collins keeps her distance

Susan Collins, a Maine Republican seeking a sixth Senate term who has repeatedly broken with Trump, is again stressing the gap. In a debate last week she said she had voted with President Joe Biden's administration 91% of the time and against Trump 137 times in this Congress alone. She faces Democrat Troy Jackson, the former president of the Maine Senate, in a tighter race than she expected. A New York Times/Siena University poll from mid-September suggests Collins may lead by 3%, while other polls show Jackson ahead.

No debates in Texas

Thirty-five Senate seats are up for election in November, but an ABC News analysis found that 21 of those races have no debates scheduled between the main candidates. Many observers have been surprised by the situation in Texas, where Democrat James Talarico, a state representative, faces Republican Ken Paxton, a former state attorney general. Polls in the normally Republican state suggest Talarico could be within reach of an upset win, which would help Democrats towards a Senate majority; they need to flip four seats.

Talarico has accepted four debate invitations from different news networks, while Paxton has accepted none. In July, Paxton's campaign spokesperson said he would debate, but since then the campaign and Paxton have said little. Trump, who backed Paxton in the Republican primaries, has urged the candidates to debate. Peter Trumbore, a political science professor at Oakland University, told CBS News that by not showing up, a candidate loses the chance to make his own case and lets his opponent portray it as negatively as possible.