Candidates for the US Senate have engaged in heated exchanges and personal attacks during debates in recent weeks, as the 3 November midterm elections approach.
A Reuters analysis indicates that two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive US House and Senate races have distanced themselves from former President Donald Trump this election cycle. For example, Maine Republican Susan Collins stated during a debate that she has voted with President Biden 91% of the time and against President Trump 137 times this Congress alone. In Iowa, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson also broke with Trump on a policy point, stating she did not believe in making a deal with Russia to lower gas and diesel prices.
Personal attacks have been a recurring theme. In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers questioned if anyone in his Muslim opponent Abdul El-Sayed's family might be on a "watchlist." In Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff called Republican Mike Collins a "bigot" who has "hired half the Third Reich," while Collins accused Ossoff of "spewing" "craziness."
An ABC News analysis found that 21 of the 35 Senate seats contested this November have no debates scheduled between the main candidates. In Texas, Democratic state representative James Talarico has accepted four debate invitations, but Republican Ken Paxton has not accepted any.