TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz met Tuesday night for what is possibly the last debate of the 2024 election as the vice presidential candidates sparred on a variety of topics, went after their opponent's running mates and defended their own.
"I think we'll hear a lot about what these two people have been, what their record is," said Schuyler Beckwith, chair of the Lucas County Democratic Party, at a watch party ahead of the debate.
Beckwith was eager to see why Walz earned his spot on the Democratic ticket alongside Vice President Kamala Harris.
"What we've seen from his experience is his ability to work with folks on all sides of these issues and really listen to what the needs are," Beckwith said.
The two candidates touched on a wide variety of issues such as abortion, the U.S.-Mexico border and foreign policy, a pressing topic as threats of war intensify between Israel and Iran.
"Israel's ability to defend itself is absolutely fundamental," Walz said in the debate.
A poll by the New York Times shows Harris, as of early Wednesday, has a four-point lead over her Republican opponent, former president Donald Trump.
But now with their running mates in the spotlight, both sides of the aisle hoped to solidify their ticket.
"It's a different dynamic in this debate," said Tony Schroeder, chair of the Putnam County GOP. "These are not long-term, seasoned politicians who have been around Washington D.C. forever."
Schroeder came into the night excited to see Vance show his true colors, calling him a man of common sense.
"What you find with JD Vance is talking about very practical, very specific things are designed to appeal to voters in the Midwest," Schroeder said. "I think he's doing an extremely effective job of communicating that out on the trail, when he's Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio."
