Former Texas House member Paul Sadler and current Democratic U.S. Senate candidate (Courtesy: Sadler Campaign)

Paul Sadler is a former Texas House member, a position he held from 1991-2003. While in the legislature, he served as chairman of the House Public Education Committee.

The Democrat became executive director of the Wind Coalition in 2008. He beat retired educator Grady Yarbrough in this summer’s primary runoff the U.S. Senate nomination.

He now faces former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz – a Republican favorite. Sadler has labeled Cruz as “extremist” and “cowardly,” even questioning his ties to Texas. So far, the Cruz campaign has focused its efforts away from those attacks.

Tuesday’s debate will stream online at dallasnews.com at 7 p.m. A second debate is set for Oct. 19.

Former Texas Solicitor General and current GOP U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz (Courtesy: Cruz Campaign)

Ted Cruz is the former Texas Solicitor General, an appointed position he held from 2003-2008. He is the son of a Cuban immigrant and has recently been cast in the national spotlight as a strong conservative candidate for U.S. Senate.

The Republican attorney is a Tea Party favorite, beating Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in a contentious summer primary runoff. Cruz also spoke at the Republican National Convention.

Though his Democratic opponent – former Texas House member Paul Sadler – has been attacking Cruz in recent days, Cruz has instead focused his efforts on his Dewhurst defeat and the presidential election. His latest campaign events have featured top Republican names like retiring GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and even Dewhurst.

Tuesday’s debate will stream online at dallasnews.com at 7 p.m. A second debate is set for Oct. 19.

David Dewhurst (Texas Senate)

A tight Republican race for U.S. Senate has the top three candidates watching the polls closely, as politicos begin predicting a July 31^st runoff. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst – a veteran politician – leads the race, followed closely by a rising star among conservative – former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz.

Not to be counted out is former Dallas mayor and businessman Tom Lepert. In this GOP-dominated state, the winner of this primary is considered a shoo-in to take over for retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in Washington.

Ted Cruz (Hispanic Republicans of Texas)

Dewhurst has, by far, the most money to spend, already reportedly going through $9.2 million of his vast personal fortune. He is also, according to some polls, on the edge of the necessary 50 percent to win this race. He also has the support of Gov. Rick Perry and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

But Cruz has been able to rely on big, conservative endorsements like former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, not to mention a string of tea party groups.

Tom Leppert (Leppert Campaign)

As the top three candidates all have similar views on policy like abortion, amnesty and taxes, their campaigns have turned to ads attacking their personalities instead.

Other noteworthy names in the Republican race are former pro-football player Craig James and Magnolia funeral director Glenn Addison. Whoever wins will face one of two Democrats – former state Rep. Paul Sadler or Sean Hubbard – though no Democrat has won a statewide office since 1994.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (AP Photo)

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst

Expressed Interest, Republican

Considered the wealthiest man in Texas politics, David Dewhurst is the 41^st and current lieutenant governor of Texas, a position he has held since 2003. Prior to this role, he served as Texas Land Commissioner from 1999 to 2003. He earned his bachelor’s degree and played basketball at the University of Arizona. He also served as a U.S. Air Force officer, a CIA agent, and worked in the U.S. State Department. He founded Falcon Seaboard, an energy and investments company in Houston. Dewhurst also breeds registered Black Angus cattle and rides cutting horses in competition.

Tom Leppert (AP Photo)

Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert

Declared, Republican

Tom Leppert was mayor of Dallas from 2007 to 2011 and has also served as CEO of Turner Construction Company. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a bachelor’s in economics, then moving on to receive his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Leppert, who grew up in Phoenix, was a White House Fellow during the Reagan Administration, working for the secretary of the Treasury and on the White House staff.

Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones (AP Photo)

Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones

Declared, Republican

As one of three members elected to the Texas Railroad Commission, Elizabeth Ames Jones helps to regulate the state’s oil and natural gas industries. Before taking office in 2005 as the third woman to serve in such a role during the commission’s history, she was elected three times to the Texas House of Representatives. She stepped down in January 2005 after an appointment by Gov. Rick Perry to fill a vacancy on the commission. During her legislative time, she was Vice Chair of the House Republican Caucus, the first woman elected to a leadership position in that caucus.

Ted Cruz (AP Photo)

Former Solicitor General Ted Cruz

Declared, Republican

Ted Cruz served as Texas Solicitor General from 2003 to 2008, appointed by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. He was the first Hispanic to serve in this role in Texas, the youngest solicitor general in the U.S., and the longest to have the position in Texas. He is now a partner at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where he handles U.S. Supreme Court and national appellate cases. In 2009, he announced he would run for Attorney General of Texas, until incumbent Abbott decided to seek re-election. Cruz has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law since 2004.

Craig James (ESPN)

Television Sports Analyst Craig James

Expressed Interest, Republican

Jesse Craig “Pony” James is a sports commentator for ABC and ESPN. Before this career, he was a professional football player for the NFL’s New England Patriots and USFL’s Washington Federals. The running back grew up in Houston and attended Southern Methodist University. He retired from football in 1988 and became a radio analyst at SMU football games and later the sports anchor for KDFW-TV, with several stints on various network sporting events. He also has his own broadcasting school called the Craig James School of Broadcasting.

Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston (AP Photo)

Sen. Dan Patrick

Expressed Interest, Republican

Dan Patrick wears many hats: state senator, author, film producer and conservative radio talk show host on stations in Houston and Dallas he now owns. He also appears from time to time on various network and cable news programs. Before hosting his own show, he was the sports director at KHOU-TV in Houston. He was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2006, quickly filing a bill that would have made abortion illegal in the state. His so-called sonogram bill will become law on Sept. 1, requiring doctors to make a sonogram image and sound available to a woman seeking an abortion prior to the procedure.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (AP Photo)

Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez

Declared, Democrat

Ricardo Sanchez is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general. He grew up in Rio Grande City, Texas, attending both the University of Texas and Texas A&M on an ROTC scholarship during the Vietnam War. He was later stationed in Korea, Panama and Germany. In 1991, he was a battalion commander during Operation Desert Storm. By 2003, he was the commander of the coalition ground forces in the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. Some highlights in that role include the killing of Uday and Qusay Hussein, and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Sanchez retired to Texas in 2006 after 33 years in the Army.

Tommy Lee Jones (AP Photo)

Tommy Lee Jones

Rumored, Democrat

San Saba, Texas, native Tommy Lee Jones is a movie actor and director with three Academy Award nominations to his name. He won for Best Supporting Actor in 1993 for The Fugitive, where he played federal marshal Samuel Gerard. Other notable roles include Two-Face in Batman Forever, Agent K in Men in Black, and Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men. At the 2000 Democratic National Convention, he gave the nominating speech for his college roommate, Al Gore, for the presidency. He now lives in the San Antonio area with several other properties across the state and nation.