Greg Abbott has been governor of Texas for nearly 12 years. He debated Wendy Davis in 2014, Lupe Valdez in 2018 and Beto O’Rourke in 2022. He won all three elections.

But suddenly, in 2026, with public polls showing a closer race against Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa, Abbott has decided a debate is unnecessary.

Come on now.

After Abbott declined four proposed debates, Hinojosa held an event outside the governor’s mansion Thursday. Recent polls show a close race despite Abbott outspending her more than six to one on advertising.

Abbott’s campaign is willing to spend millions telling Texans what to think about Hinojosa. But putting him on a stage where she can challenge his record? Apparently, that’s a bridge too far.

And Abbott is hardly alone.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has declined to debate Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico. On Wednesday, Talarico took questions from voters across the political spectrum in a nationally televised town hall. Paxton declined an invitation to participate in a comparable event.

In Florida, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody has declined to debate Angie Nixon. In Mississippi, Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said there’s “no point” in debating Democratic nominee Scott Colom.

Why are so many Republicans making the same decision in the same election cycle?

The campaigns have offered different explanations. Abbott says he’d rather meet voters at community events. Moody says she won’t give a “self-proclaimed socialist” a stage. Hyde-Smith’s campaign says there’s “no point” debating Colom because of his positions. Paxton’s campaign said he would debate Talarico if there were neutral moderators, then objected to a proposed Fox News forum and did not respond to CNN’s town hall invitation.

I have some thoughts.

In 2014, I was deputy communications director for the Democratic nominee for governor in Nebraska. It was not a pleasant year to be a Democrat running for office.

President Barack Obama was in the White House, and Republicans had turned the Affordable Care Act into a political liability. In Nebraska, where Republicans already had a significant advantage, the national environment made an uphill campaign even harder.

It was difficult to keep the conversation focused on the issues we wanted to discuss when the national debate kept pulling it elsewhere. Healthcare was supposed to be one of the Obama administration’s signature achievements. Instead, Republicans made Obamacare a central argument against Democrats up and down the ballot.

There was no escaping it.

Republicans are being asked to defend the president’s agenda.

That is the political environment I recognize today, except Republicans are now being asked to defend the president’s agenda.

Donald Trump unilaterally imposed tariffs, raising costs for American businesses and consumers. Then came his war of choice in Iran. Gas and diesel prices climbed, raising costs for households and businesses. And Americans are still waiting for a clear explanation of how this war will end.

Where were Republicans in Congress?

Some raised objections, but many stayed silent, defended the president’s decisions or cheered him on. Now, with Trump’s approval ratings sinking, Republican candidates face an uncomfortable reality. Some are trying to distance themselves from parts of his agenda. Others are embracing him, betting his support will carry them through November.

But the decisions have already been made. The tariffs were imposed. The war began. Americans are dealing with the economic consequences.

A debate means explaining those choices — or why you didn’t challenge them — while someone a few feet away questions your answer.

I can understand why a campaign might not want that.

But refusing to face those questions is cowardly.

On a recent episode of Clock It, Eugene Daniels and I discussed the growing number of candidates declining debates. I asked what I think is a basic question: “If you want the power to represent people, why shouldn’t you have to answer questions in front of those people?”

And I meant it.

A debate isn’t the only way for candidates to face difficult questions. A town hall lets voters challenge a candidate directly, without an opponent standing next to them.

Talarico did exactly that on Wednesday.

Paxton has campaigned across Texas, including on a statewide bus tour. But he declined the CNN town hall and a debate with Talarico. Those offer sustained questioning that campaign events don’t necessarily provide.

Abbott has spent years championing a school voucher program that fundamentally changes how Texas approaches public education. Hinojosa has made opposition to it central to her campaign. Texans could hear Abbott explain why he believes his approach serves their children — and hear Hinojosa challenge him on the consequences for public schools.

There are also questions about property taxes, the cost of living, immigration enforcement and the governor’s use of state authority. These decisions affect millions of Texans.

Republicans aren’t the only candidates declining debates. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has also declined to debate her opponent. She should face scrutiny for that, too.

But the pattern among Republicans this cycle is striking, particularly because their party is exercising power in Washington.

Greg Abbott is governor of Texas. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Ashley Moody are U.S. senators. They’re asking voters to keep them in office, yet choosing whether to face public scrutiny while they still need those voters’ permission.

We spend a lot of time examining candidates’ experience, policies, temperament and judgment. We should. But we should also ask what they believe they owe the people they govern.

A politician who treats difficult questions as optional is telling us how they understand the power they hold.

Perhaps the most revealing thing about these Republicans isn’t what they might say on a debate stage. It’s what they believe they no longer have to explain.

Evan Brechtel contributed to this report.

For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Symone Sanders Townsend and Luke Russert, watch “The Weeknight” every Monday-Friday at 7 p.m. ET on MS NOW, and check out Symone’s podcast with Eugene Daniels, “Clock It.” Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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