Monday is a busy night for campaigns across the country with the midterm elections just over three weeks away.
There are four major debates tonight, in Ohio, Georgia, Iowa, and Utah, as well as a rally in Virginia for Republican Yesli Vega that will be headlined by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The campaign season is reaching fever pitch as control of Congress hangs in the balance and candidates in dozens of states vie for the governor’s mansion.
In the House, Republicans hope to net at least one Senate seat and five House seats to take the majority in each chamber as early voting gets underway in many states.
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Here are five events to watch for on a packed Monday night.
Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance square off in second debate for Ohio Senate
Rep. Tim Ryan (D) and author J.D. Vance (R) will meet on the debate stage for the second time at 7 p.m. EST in Youngstown, Ohio. Their first debate a week ago saw the pair spar over abortion and inflation, and those two topics will likely feature again during the second debate. This is the final debate before the Nov. 8 election.
Ryan and Vance are nearly tied in the polls. They are competing for a seat that opened when Sen. Rob Portman (R) announced his retirement.
Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams will face each other in the Georgia gubernatorial debate
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and his 2018 rival, Stacey Abrams (D), will also debate tonight at 7 p.m. EST, the same day early voting begins in the state.
Abrams notably refused to concede the 2018 election that she lost to Kemp, and the issue of election integrity may come up in the debate. Kemp gained greater notoriety for standing against former President Donald Trump’s claims that he won Georgia in the 2020 election.
Abrams has outraised Kemp in the final stretch but lags in the polls. Libertarian Chase Oliver will also be onstage, and they will have a second debate on Oct. 30.
Iowa gubernatorial candidates Kim Reynolds and Deidre DeJear to debate
Incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds will debate her Democratic challenger, Deidre DeJear, in their first and only matchup, also at 7 p.m. EST. Reynolds is seeking her second full term in office and is polling 17 points ahead of DeJear, a small business owner, in recent polls. Reynolds won in 2018 with only 3 points more of the vote than the Democrat.
During the debate, Reynolds will likely focus on her successful management of the state budget, which resulted in a $1 billion surplus while cutting taxes. DeJear has been critical of the Republican-led state government for what she says are underfunded school and mental health programs, as well as the party’s policies on abortion access.
Mike Lee to meet independent challenger Evan McMullin on the debate stage
Trump and a local water issue could take center stage as Sen. Mike Lee (R) debates independent Evan McMullin at 8 p.m. EST. Lee is seeking his third term in the Senate, while McMullin, who defected from the GOP in 2016 over Trump’s nomination, is attempting to make his way into federal office after running for president as an independent in 2016.
The shrinking water levels of the Great Salt Lake emerged as one of the top five issues for voters in Utah, according to a July poll, and the matter could be a major topic of debate.
Most polling shows Lee well ahead of McMullin.
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Youngkin to rally with Vega in Virginia’s 7th District
Youngkin (R) will rally with Vega, the GOP challenger to incumbent Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, as part of his 2022 push for state Republican candidates. Youngkin, who won in an upset election last year after President Joe Biden won the state by 10 points in 2020, is hoping to boost members of his party trying to oust Democrats in tight races.
Youngkin’s new PAC, Empowering Virginia Parents, will be spending to boost such candidates as Vega; state Sen. Jen Kiggans (R), running in the 2nd District against Rep. Elaine Luria (D); and Hung Cao (R) in his challenge to Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) in the 10th District. The rally with Vega in Fredericksburg, Virginia, will be at 7 p.m. EST.
