Updated 10:00 a.m. July 30 with information about Attorney General Ken Paxton's debate plans, at 10:00 a.m. July 27 with information about Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke's debate plans, and at 1 p.m. July 25 to include a new ad released by the Justin Nelson campaign.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz have agreed to debate their opponents before the November election, but the state's other top Republicans have said they have no plans to do the same.

Democrats in Texas haven't won a statewide election in two dozen years. In fact, Dems here have been shut out of the top offices longer than their progressive partners in any other state. Something else that hasn't been all that common as of late? A debate between a Republican state officeholder and his Democratic opponent.

This year, Abbott has agreed to debate his challenger, former Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez. And just this week, Cruz said he'd be happy to go head-to-head five times with Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke. But what about the Texas' other GOP officeholders?

In 2014, when Dan Patrick ran for lieutenant governor, he agreed to a face-to-face with his opponent, then-fellow state Sen. Leticia Van De Putte. But now, after four years of producing policy and piloting the direction of conservative Texas politics, Patrick says there's no reason from him to go head-to-head with opponent Mike Collier.

"It's no secret Lt. Governor Patrick relishes debates, but since his opponent shows no sign of grasping even the most basic rudiments of state government, our campaign has no plans to debate him," Patrick campaign spokesman Allen Blakemore said in a statement last week. "There isn't anyone in the Lone Star State who isn't absolutely clear about where Dan Patrick stands on the issues. He told us what he was going to do, then he did it."

Patrick's compadres in the General Land Office and Department of Agriculture agree.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush (son of Jeb and nephew to George W.) has no plans to go one-on-one with his challenger, Miguel Suazo — at least, not as of Tuesday, July 24.

"At this point, we're not planning to do a debate, but we always assess things as we go forward," Bush campaign spokesman Lee Spieckerman told The Dallas Morning News. And why not? "Voters are very aware of Commissioner Bush's record, which is the main thing. ... His performance speaks for itself."

But perhaps it's the spokesman for Sid Miller, the perpetually be-Stetson-ed commissioner of agriculture, who said it best. Miller's got 719,000 followers on Facebook, after all, where he's shared his thoughts on refugee "rattlers," drag queens and Whoopi Goldberg. Why give his challenger a slice of that "free publicity?"

"It'll be a cold day in Texas before we give our opponent the opportunity to have free name recognition by having a debate," Todd M. Smith told The News on Tuesday. "As the lieutenant governor said, there's not anybody in Texas who doesn't know where Sid Miller stands on the issues."

This, of course, leaves their Democratic opponents in the lurch. Most have a disadvantage when it comes to dollars — Patrick outraised Collier 17-to-1 and only Miller's campaign has less in the bank than his opponent — and, just by virtue of being the new guys, the Dems are already operating at a deficit in name recognition.

Kim Olson, who is seen as both forceful and folksy, accused Miller of running scared.

"Candidates should earn their votes, and the only way to do that is to present yourself," Olson, a retired Air Force colonel, told The News. "It is suspect when an incumbent will not defend his record or present a vision of the future.

"Sounds like he is as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers."

Collier accused Patrick of ensconcing himself away "in his bunker, sending out audio snippets to the few supporters that remain, that are chock full of spin and nonsense," to which Blakemore shot back with a long list of Patrick's campaign events over the last two days, including a meeting with the Dallas Police Association, folks from UT Southwestern and a group of conservative women in Tomball.

And Suazo, the energy lawyer who wants to run the Alamo and manage the state's mineral rights as land commissioner, said Bush should live up to his name: "Every other candidate named George Bush has debated, except this one. That's because his record is indefensible and he knows that I'll beat him."

In a November television appearance, Attorney General Ken Paxton (who was indicted in July 2015 and is awaiting trial on fraud charges) said he would "be happy to debate anybody on the issues and look forward to it."

It was unclear if he meant an election opponent.

Attorney General Ken Paxton's spokesman did not return calls and emails requesting comment. Then, on July 26, he released a statement to other media outlets that Paxton "will communicate directly with the voters." His spokesman did not specify whether this was a wholesale rejection of his opponent's calls for a debate.

Paxton refused to meet his challenger in 2014. His opponent this time around is Justin Nelson, a Houston attorney. On Wednesday, the Nelson campaign released a video featuring a clip of Paxton's November appearance where he says he'd be "happy to debate anybody."

"Sounds good, Ken," the ad says. "Ready when you are."