A History of Texas Governor's Race Debates

As Republican Greg Abbott backed out of plans to participate in a televised debate in Dallas with Democrat Wendy Davis on Friday — and later in the day, jumped back in with a different network — the campaigns escalated their sparring over the number of debates they should participate in before Election Day. Abbott and Davis are still scheduled to appear in a debate on Sept. 19 in McAllen.

A look back at gubernatorial races since 1982 shows that the leading general election candidates faced off in some televised format in every race over the past three decades until 2010. That's the year Gov. Rick Perry refused to debate former Houston Mayor Bill White.

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