With just days until Election Day, candidates in the most competitive races of this midterm season are finished hashing out their differences in debates. Read about those that have taken place.
Thursday, Nov. 3: Maine
In Maine, Gov. Janet T. Mills, a Democrat, and her Republican challenger, former Gov. Paul LePage, met for a final debate. In her closing message to voters, Ms. Mills warned that Mr. LePage would bring “fighting, dysfunction and stalemate” to the state government.
Read more from News Center Maine: ‘Mills, LePage debate for a final time in race for governor’
Wednesday, Nov. 2: New Hampshire
Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, a Democrat, debated Don Bolduc, her Republican challenger, for a final time. Ms. Hassan tried to cast her opponent as an extremist while emphasizing her efforts to work with Republicans in the Senate.
Read more from Seacoast Online: ‘In New Hampshire Senate debate, Hassan and Bolduc argue abortion, inflation and more’
Tuesday, Nov. 1: Ohio
The candidates for Senate in Ohio, Representative Tim Ryan, a Democrat, and J.D. Vance, a Republican, participated in a town hall hosted by Fox News. Mr. Vance clarified that he would accept the results of his election, though defended his statements doubting the outcome of the 2020 election.
Read: ‘Vance Says He Will Accept Election Results, While Still Questioning 2020’s’
Sunday, Oct. 30: Georgia, Washington State
In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, and Stacey Abrams, his Democratic challenger, met for their second and final debate. Mr. Kemp and Ms. Abrams focused on highlighting their respective platforms, staying clear of personal attacks.
Read: ‘4 Takeaways From the Last Kemp-Abrams Debate Before Election Day’
Senator Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat, debated Tiffany Smiley, a Republican. Ms. Smiley sought to portray the incumbent as a D.C. insider, telling her opponent, “You are not the mom in tennis shoes anymore,” a reference to a Murray campaign line.
Read more from The Seattle Times: Patty Murray, Tiffany Smiley meet for 2nd debate as campaign enters homestretch
Friday, Oct. 28: Colorado, Minnesota
In Colorado, Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, and Joe O’Dea, his Republican challenger, debated for a final time. The two candidates both voiced support for mandatory background checks for gun purchases but disagreed on a question about a ban on the sale of assault rifles.
Read more from The Denver Post: ‘A final, feisty debate in U.S. Senate race as Michael Bennet, Joe O’Dea make their cases’
In their final debate in the race to lead Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and Scott Jensen, his Republican challenger, traded personal attacks. Mr. Jensen said that Mr. Walz had “failed” his duties as governor, while Mr. Walz said his opponent was running on “a dark and fearful vision of Minnesota.”
Read more from The Star Tribune: ‘Accusations intensify in third and final Minnesota governor debate’
Thursday, Oct. 27: Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican, debated three challengers, including Kelly Tshibaka, a Republican running to Ms. Murkowski’s right. Ms. Murkowski defended her record against criticism from Ms. Tshibaka, who called the incumbent “one of the worst senators even imaginable.”
The large field is the result of a new system in Alaska that allows the top four candidates to advance to the general election, regardless of party. In the general election, voters again rank the candidates in order of preference.
Read: “Murkowski Fends Off Attacks on Her Record in Alaska’s Senate Debate”
In Maine, Ms. Mills, a Democrat, and Mr. LePage, her Republican challenger, met for their penultimate debate. The two candidates clashed over Maine’s economy, blaming each other for the state’s chronic labor shortage.
Read more from The Bangor Daily News: “4 key moments from Thursday’s gubernatorial debate”
In New Hampshire, Ms. Hassan, a Democrat, debated Mr. Bolduc, her Republican challenger. Mr. Bolduc retracted his previous claims that the 2020 election had been stolen, saying he realized claims of widespread fraud were unfounded.
Read: “Hassan’s challenger, Don Bolduc, goes on the offensive, but stumbles into contradictions”
Wednesday, Oct. 26: Alaska
Representative Mary Peltola of Alaska, a Democrat, debated her challengers, including former Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III, both Republicans. Ms. Peltola, who won a special election this summer after the death of Representative Don Young, painted herself as the natural successor to Mr. Young, a Republican. Several of Mr. Young’s former staff members have endorsed Ms. Peltola.
Read: “Peltola Squared Off in Debate Against 3 Challengers in Alaska House Race”
Tuesday, Oct. 25: Colorado, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania
In Colorado’s Senate race, Mr. Bennet, a Democrat, and Mr. O’Dea, his Republican challenger, argued about inflation and energy prices during a debate hosted by Colorado Mesa University.
Read more from The Denver Post: “Three themes and one grim agreement from Michael Bennet and Joe O’Dea’s Senate debate”
In Michigan, Tudor Dixon, a Republican challenging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, defended herself against Ms. Whitmer’s criticism of her positions on abortion.
Read more from The Detroit Free Press: “4 takeaways from the first Whitmer-Dixon debate”
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a Democrat, met her Republican challenger, Lee Zeldin, in their only debate. Mr. Zeldin focused on crime, while Ms. Hochul tried to tie her challenger to former President Donald J. Trump.
Read: “Battle for New York: 5 Takeaways From the Hochul-Zeldin Debate”
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Republican, met for the only debate of their Senate campaign. The candidates discussed crime, abortion and fracking.
Read: “Fetterman, showing the effects of his stroke, battled Oz in a hostile Senate debate”
Monday, Oct. 24: Florida, Maine
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, a former governor and U.S. lawmaker, discussed abortion, education and climate change in their only debate. The debate was originally scheduled for earlier in the month but was postponed because of Hurricane Ian.
Read: “Four Takeaways From the DeSantis-Crist Debate in Florida’s Governor Race”
In Maine, Ms. Mills and Mr. LePage each painted themselves as the true champion of Maine’s lobster industry in the second debate between the candidates for governor.
Read more from The Bangor Daily News: “Paul LePage’s curveballs and Janet Mills’ look back define 2nd TV debate”
Sunday, Oct. 23: Washington State
In Washington, Ms. Murray, a Democrat, faced Tiffany Smiley, her Republican challenger, in a contentious debate. Ms. Murray defended her record and Ms. Smiley tried to blame the incumbent for inflation and rising crime rates.
Read more from The Seattle Times: “Patty Murray, Tiffany Smiley spar over crime, abortion, climate at Senate debate”
Friday, Oct. 21: Arkansas
Three candidates for governor in Arkansas met for their only debate. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican; Chris Jones, a Democrat; and Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr., a Libertarian; discussed how they approach media access to their campaigns. Ms. Huckabee Sanders, a former White House press secretary, said she prefers to cut out the “middle man” and speak directly to voters.
Read more from 4029 News: “Arkansas governor’s debate: Candidates respond to question on media access”
Thursday, Oct. 20: Massachusetts
The candidates running for governor in Massachusetts, Geoff Diehl, a Republican, and Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, met for their final debate. The two candidates argued about taxes and the state’s economy but agreed that they would both “absolutely” accept the results of the election.
Read more from The Boston Globe: “Maura Healey and Geoff Diehl spar in final gubernatorial debate”
Wednesday, Oct. 19: Oregon
Three candidates running for governor in Oregon met for their final debate. Tina Kotek, a Democrat; Christine Drazan, a Republican; and Betsy Johnson, an independent, all agreed that reducing homelessness would be among their top priorities if elected.
Read more from OregonLive: “Candidates for governor clash on homelessness, education, policing during final televised debate”
Tuesday, Oct. 18: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire
In Colorado, Mr. Bennet, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Mr. O’Dea, participated in a 30-minute forum on mental health.
Read more from The Colorado Sun: “Colorado’s U.S. Senate candidates debate in the race’s first-ever mental health forum”
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican, and Val B. Demings, a Democrat, met for their first debate. They touched on abortion, foreign policy, gun control and property insurance.
Read: “Four Takeaways From the Rubio-Demings Debate in Florida’s Senate Race”
In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, hammered Darren Bailey, his Republican opponent, on his ties to Mr. Trump and others who have questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
Read more from The Chicago Tribune: “In final debate, Darren Bailey calls Chicago ‘Pritzkerville,’ while governor says challenger a threat to democracy”
Minnesota’s governor, Mr. Walz, a Democrat, and Mr. Jensen, a Republican, argued about how they would spend the state’s budget. The candidates also disagreed on mining, gun control and opioids.
Read more from The Star Tribune: “Walz, Jensen clash in first and only TV debate in Minnesota Governor’s race”
Ms. Hassan of New Hampshire, a Democrat, faced her Republican challenger, Mr. Bolduc, in a debate that focused on economic issues. Mr. Bolduc revealed a point of agreement with the incumbent, on raising the cap on income that can be taxed to fund Social Security.
Read: “New Hampshire’s Senate Debate Reveals a Surprising Point of Agreement”
Monday, Oct. 17: Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Utah
In Georgia, Mr. Kemp, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, Ms. Abrams met for their first debate this year. The two candidates addressed gun control policies, the state’s recovery from Covid-19 and economic policy. Shane Hazel, a Libertarian candidate who will be on the ballot, also participated.
Read: “5 Takeaways From the Georgia Governor’s Debate: Kemp and Abrams Came Ready”
Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, a Republican, defended her record against Deirdre DeJear, a Democrat vying for the seat. Ms. Reynolds argued that the state’s budget had remained balanced under her leadership, while Ms. DeJear accused the incumbent of underfunding public services like education and health care.
Read more from The Des Moines Register: ‘Kim Reynolds and Deidre DeJear spar in their only Iowa governor debate. Here’s what they said’
In a second debate for Ohio’s Senate candidates, Mr. Ryan, a Democrat, and Mr. Vance, a Republican, each tried to paint his opponent as extreme.
Read: “5 Takeaways From the Final Ohio Senate Debate”
Senator Mike Lee of Utah, a Republican, and his independent challenger, Evan McMullin, agreed on some points, including abortion policy, in their only debate. But Mr. McMullin offered sharp criticism of Mr. Lee’s role in undermining the results of the 2020 election, a major theme of Mr. McMullin’s campaign.
Read: “5 Takeaways From the Utah Senate Debate”
Friday, Oct. 14: Georgia, Wisconsin
Herschel Walker, a Republican who is challenging Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, a Democrat, went on the offensive in the pair’s first debate, at one point telling Mr. Warnock, a pastor, “Do not bear false witness.”
Read: “Walker Barrels Into Georgia Debate and Meets a Controlled Warnock”
In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, and Tim Michels, a Republican, disagreed on gun control and parents’ power in setting school curriculum.
Read more from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Takeaways from the only debate between Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and challenger Tim Michels”
Thursday, Oct. 13: Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin
In the first Michigan governor’s debate, Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat who is seeking her second term, highlighted her experience in elected office over two decades. Ms. Dixon, her Republican challenger and a conservative TV news commentator, cast herself as a political outsider who says the state needs fixing.
Read: “Five Takeaways From the Michigan Governor’s Debate”
In the second Senate debate in Wisconsin, Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, disagreed on abortion access, but neither candidate explained specific policy changes they would support if elected.
Read: “Four Takeaways From the Barnes-Johnson Senate Debate”
Candidates for a newly created House seat in Colorado answered questions about oil and gas production, abortion access and a failed secession bid in 2013 that would have broken Northern Colorado off into a new state.
Read more from 9News: “CD8 candidates face off on economy, abortion, housing”
In a different debate, Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Heidi Ganahl, went over their respective plans to eliminate income tax in the state.
Read more from The Colorado Sun: “What we learned about Jared Polis and Heidi Ganahl during their debate”
Wednesday, Oct. 12: Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico
Maryland’s candidates for governor, Dan Cox, a Republican, and Wes Moore, a Democrat, traded personal attacks in their only debate. Mr. Moore criticized Mr. Cox for supporting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and Mr. Cox accused Mr. Moore of falsifying details in his autobiography, which Mr. Moore has denied.
Read more from The Baltimore Sun: “Maryland governor candidates Dan Cox and Wes Moore trade jabs in sole debate”
In Massachusetts, the candidates for governor, Mr. Diehl, a Republican, and Ms. Healey, a Democrat, argued over taxes, renewable energy and Mr. Trump’s legacy.
Read more from The Boston Globe: “Healey, Diehl spar on Trump, abortion rights, and affordability in first TV debate”
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, a Democrat, and her Republican challenger, Mark Ronchetti, met for their final debate this year. Ms. Lujan Grisham attacked Mr. Ronchetti’s dearth of political experience, and Mr. Ronchetti questioned the incumbent about a $150,000 settlement she reached in 2020 with a former staff member who accused her of sexual harassment. Her campaign denies the allegations.
Read more from The Albuquerque Journal: “Gov candidates confront each other in combative debate”
Monday, Oct. 10: Ohio
The first debate between the candidates for Senate in Ohio, Mr. Ryan and Mr. Vance, was sometimes heated and often personal.
Read: “Six Takeaways From the Vance-Ryan Debate in the Ohio Senate Race”
Friday, Oct. 7: North Carolina, Wisconsin
Cheri Beasley, a Democratic former chief justice of the State Supreme Court, and Representative Ted Budd, who are competing for a Senate seat in North Carolina, met for a debate in Raleigh. Mr. Budd, a Republican, tried to portray the race as a referendum on President Biden, while Ms. Beasley sought to tie her opponent to election denialism and Mr. Trump.
Read: “The Key Issues That Defined North Carolina’s Senate Debate”
Mr. Johnson and Mr. Barnes previously met for a debate in Madison that put their ideological differences on full display: Mr. Barnes embraced progressive ideas like marijuana legalization and the defense of Black Lives Matter protesters, while Mr. Johnson derided efforts to curb climate change.
Read: “Five Takeaways From the Wisconsin Senate Debate”
Thursday, Oct. 6: Arizona, Illinois
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a Democrat, and Blake Masters, his Republican challenger, met for a debate in Phoenix, where the topics included abortion, immigration and California’s water use.
Read: “Five Takeaways From the Arizona Senate Debate”
Mr. Pritzker and Mr. Bailey debated in Normal, Ill., as part of their contest for governor. Mr. Bailey pressed Mr. Pritzker, whose presidential ambitions are no secret, to pledge to serve out all four years of his term if re-elected. Moderators asked Mr. Bailey to explain comments that compared abortion to the Holocaust.
Read: “In Illinois Governor’s Debate, Bailey Tries to Put Pritzker on Defensive”
Wednesday, Oct. 5: Kansas
Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, a Democrat, and her Republican opponent, Derek Schmidt, the state attorney general, met for a debate in Kansas City. Mr. Schmidt danced around the issue of abortion, saying that while he preferred “a Kansas that has fewer abortions, not more,” he would respect the outcome of an August referendum in the state that preserved abortion rights.
Read: ”G.O.P. Governor Candidate in Kansas Walks Abortion Tightrope in a Debate”
Tuesday, Oct. 4: Maine
Ms. Mills and Mr. LePage met for their first debate in Lewiston, Maine. Mr. LePage struggled to answer a question from a moderator about whether he would veto additional restrictions on abortion if a Republican legislature were to pass them.
Read: “LePage Stumbles on Abortion Questioning in Maine Governor’s Debate”
A correction was made on
Oct. 25, 2022
:
An earlier version of this article misstated Charlie Crist’s status as a congressman. He resigned in August after becoming the Democratic nominee in Florida’s race for governor; he is not currently in office.
How we handle corrections
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/B4PD2OKPEZMRHBSNUHQ4MCUWXM.jpg "Georgia accuses Trump of fraud in election subversion case")
