Governor Greg Abbott and challenger Lupe Valdez debate Friday night at 19:00 Central. look here

Governor Greg Abbott and his Democratic opponent, Lupe Valdez, face off in their first and only debate Friday night in Austin.

The one hour event is scheduled to start at 7 pm. Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, and is hosted by Nexstar Media Group. Nexstar will broadcast the debate on its 12 stations across the state, as well as broadcast partners in Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Dallas. Some Telemundo stations will also lead the debate, and a live broadcast will be available on the websites of the 12 Nexstar stations.

The moderator of the debate is Robert Hadlock of KXAN in Austin, who will be accompanied by a panel of local journalists from across the state. Among them are Julie Fine of KXAS in Dallas, Andy Cerota of KPRC in Houston, Steve Spriester of KSAT in San Antonio and Norma Garcia of Telemundo in Dallas / Fort Worth.

The debate will provide the widest audience to Valdez, the former Dallas County sheriff, whose challenge of abandoning Abbott has come in the shadow of the US Senate race. And it will fall two days before Senate candidates – Ted Cruz and his Democratic rival Beto O. Rourke – are debated Sunday night in Houston.

Like Cruz and O 'Rourke, Abbott and Valdez had an exchange of views. Abbott took the first step in July, announcing that he had accepted an invitation to the Nexstar debate. About a week later, Valdez said she planned to participate in a separate debate scheduled for Oct. 8 in Houston. But Abbott held on to the Nexstar debate, and Valdez accepted it last month while claiming victory at Telemundo.