Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke both want to debate, but no date set

U.S. Congressman Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's seat in the next election, talks to the public during a rally at No Label Brewery Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, in Katy. ( Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle ) less U.S. Congressman Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's seat in the next election, talks to the public during a rally at No Label Brewery Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, in Katy. ( Yi-Chin Lee / ... more Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Houston Chronicle Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke both want to debate, but no date set 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN — With less than four months until Election Day, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke is getting more aggressive in pushing incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz to agree to a series of debates.

O’Rourke, a Congressman from El Paso, said on Tuesday that he sent Cruz’s campaign a second letter calling for them to begin coordinating six debates before the Nov. 6 general election. O’Rourke wants two of the debates in Spanish.

“At this critical moment for our country, when everything we are about is on the line, when the stakes couldn’t be higher, Texans deserve a serious debate on these issues and it’s a debate I want to have,” O’Rourke said in statement to the media.

Cruz’s campaign sent O’Rourke’s campaign acknowledgment of the second request for a debate and noted Cruz “has made it quite clear he is looking forward to debating Congressman O’Rourke.”

“However, your arbitrary timeline for coordinating between the campaigns remains irrelevant to our decision-making process” a letter from Cruz for Senate advisor Bryan English states. “We will let you know when we are ready to discuss the details of joint appearances.”

O’Rourke and Cruz just finished a week when each of them campaigned in Texas, promoting their campaigns and their differences with one another.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com

Twitter.com/JeremySWallace