when is the next debate

There isn’t a single “next debate” everyone online is referring to right now, so the answer depends on which debate you mean (presidential, party primary, college debate, etc.).

Below is a “Quick Scoop” style rundown based on what’s actually scheduled and visible online.

When Is the Next Debate?

Key Takeaway

If you’re asking in a general, “what’s the next big debate on the calendar right now?” sense, one of the nearest clearly advertised political debates is the Texas Attorney General Republican primary debate on February 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM CT , hosted by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA).

If you had a specific debate in mind (like a presidential debate or a college tournament), you’ll need to clarify which one, because different organizations run separate calendars.

Political Debates Coming Up

Texas AG Republican Primary Debate

Event: 2026 Republican Primary Debate for Texas Attorney General.

Date: February 17, 2026.

Time: 7:00 PM CT.

Host: Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA).

Moderator: Allie Beth Stuckey.

Listed candidates: Joan Huffman, Aaron Reitz, Mayes Middleton, Chip Roy.

This event is being positioned as a central debate in the Republican primary contest for the Texas AG’s race in 2026, with a dedicated “debate hub” and a live broadcast plus replay.

Debate Events Around Early 2026

Even outside “big” political showdowns, there are many scheduled debate- related events in early 2026.

Collegiate Policy Debate (Example: Liberty University Schedule)

Liberty University’s 2026 spring debate schedule includes multiple tournaments, which are essentially structured, multi-round debates between university teams.

February 2026 events:
- Gotham Debates at New School University.

* Texas Open at The University of Texas.

* JV & Novice Nationals at Fairmont State.

These are tournament-style, with many individual debates, not a single televised “next debate” in the political sense.

Speech & Debate Association Tournaments

The American Speech and Debate Association also lists several upcoming tournaments in early 2026.

February Extemporaneous Online Qualifier – February 20, 2026.

February Online Qualifier – February 21, 2026.

Additional qualifiers in Texas and Florida are scheduled in February and March 2026, though some dates are still “TBA.”

Again, these are competitive debate/speech events rather than a single high- profile political debate.

What About the “Next Presidential Debate”?

There are historical schedules online for the 2024 presidential debates (for example, Commission on Presidential Debates sites and local party pages), but those refer to events in 2024 that have already taken place, not new ones in 2026.

Example: The Commission on Presidential Debates announced 2024 dates like September 16, 2024 for a presidential debate and late September/October dates for VP and later debates.

Party and local pages also describe 2024 debates with rules like no audience, muted microphones, and specific TV networks, which are now past events.

As of now, there is no widely publicized new presidential debate date in 2026 on the main public-facing calendars that are still being referenced online.

Mini FAQ & Forum-Style Notes

Q: When is the next big, TV-style U.S. presidential debate?
For the 2024 cycle, those dates were in fall 2024 and are over now; current 2026 listings are mostly state-level or internal party debates, not general- election presidential debates.

Q: Is there any nationally watched debate coming soon?
The most concretely advertised “next” debate right now that resembles a political showdown is the Texas AG Republican primary debate on February 17, 2026, 7:00 PM CT.

Q: What if I meant academic or high school debate?
Look at association calendars like Liberty University’s tournament list or the American Speech and Debate Association tournament calendar for upcoming February and March events.

Simple HTML Table of Notable Upcoming Debate-Related Events

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Event</th>
      <th>Type</th>
      <th>Date & Time</th>
      <th>Location / Host</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Texas AG Republican Primary Debate</td>
      <td>Political debate</td>
      <td>February 17, 2026, 7:00 PM CT [web:5]</td>
      <td>Hosted by RAGA, Texas Attorney General primary [web:5]</td>
      <td>Features candidates Joan Huffman, Aaron Reitz, Mayes Middleton, Chip Roy [web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Gotham Debates (New School University)</td>
      <td>Collegiate tournament</td>
      <td>February 2026 (specific dates on Liberty schedule) [web:1]</td>
      <td>New School University, listed on Liberty University’s schedule [web:1]</td>
      <td>Part of Liberty’s 2026 spring debate schedule [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Texas Open (University of Texas)</td>
      <td>Collegiate tournament</td>
      <td>February 2026 [web:1]</td>
      <td>University of Texas, part of spring tournaments [web:1]</td>
      <td>Major policy debate tournament [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>JV & Novice Nationals (Fairmont State)</td>
      <td>Collegiate tournament</td>
      <td>February 2026 [web:1]</td>
      <td>Fairmont State University [web:1]</td>
      <td>National tournament for JV and novice teams [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>February Extemporaneous Online Qualifier</td>
      <td>Speech & debate qualifier</td>
      <td>February 20, 2026 [web:9]</td>
      <td>American Speech and Debate Association (online) [web:9]</td>
      <td>Part of 2025–2026 tournament calendar [web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>February Online Qualifier</td>
      <td>Speech & debate qualifier</td>
      <td>February 21, 2026 [web:9]</td>
      <td>American Speech and Debate Association (online) [web:9]</td>
      <td>Registration closed February 10, 2026 [web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR

The clearest “next debate” right now in the political news sense is the Texas Attorney General Republican primary debate on February 17, 2026 at 7 PM CT.

Many debate tournaments (college and high school) also run through February and March 2026, but they are multi-round competitive events, not a single televised political debate.

If you tell me which debate (presidential, state-level, student, etc.), I can narrow it down further. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

when is the next debate