YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Following their contentious first debate last week in Cleveland, Rep. Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance met for a second debate in their U.S. Senate race on Monday evening in Youngstown.
The Stambaugh Auditorium played host to what is likely to be the last debate in the Ohio U.S. Senate race to fill the vacant seat that will be left by the retiring Rob Portman.
Right from the start, the two candidates went hard at each other. And again, one of Ryan's tactics was to go hard at Vance for seemingly changing his rhetoric about former President Donald Trump.
"You were calling Trump America's Hitler, and then you kissed his ass, and then he endorsed you," Ryan said to Vance during questioning about how the two have criticized Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the past.
“The guy who's subservient to the national party is Tim Ryan,” Vance said, citing Ryan's voting loyalty toward Pelosi and President Joe Biden, also a Democrat.
Ryan retorted, “JD, you keep talking about Nancy Pelosi. If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You're running against me."
Each candidate seemed determine to stick to their messaging. Vance accused Ryan of being a phony moderate, while Ryan painted Vance as an extremist.
Unlike the first debate, Vance seemed to embrace Sen. Lindsey Graham's proposal for a 15-week nationwide ban on abortion.
"If the Republicans control the House and the Senate, we won't be able to codify Roe v. Wade," Ryan said. Vance did not offer a concrete answer when asked what exceptions he might be willing to support. "You cannot say with total confidence what every single exception in every single case is going to be," he said.
The duo also were asked about topics including opioids, January 6, policing, immigration, and race. The most raw moment might have been questions about the "great replacement theory," the right-wing premise of whites being replaced by non-whites.
"I think it's nonsense," Ryan said of the theory. "I think it is grounded in some of the most divisive writings in the history of the world. And this is who he (Vance) is running around with. There's no great conspiracy. This is a nation that's welcomed immigrants from all corners of the world."
"It's shameful for you to accuse me of that, given my family history," Vance interrupted.
"My turn, pal," Ryan interjected. "This great replacement theory was the motivator for the shooting in Buffalo. Some sicko got all this information that he (Vance) has been peddling with those extremists that he runs around with. All these people that want to stoke racial violence. We're tired of it, J.D."
"This is disgusting," Vance responded. "When people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging in the great replacement theory, what happens is my own children, my biracial children, get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you (Ryan) are so desperate for political power that you accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial children of engaging in racism. We are sick of it. You can believe in a border without being racist."
Polls show the race in a virtual tie. The key will be which candidate can grab a higher portion of the 9% of undecided voters. With three weeks to go, expect this dead heat to heat up some more.
You can watch Monday's debate, which was hosted by 3News' NBC sister station 21 News WFMJ, below:
Ryan and Vance finally met for their first debate last week, an event that was also heated.
The race between Ryan, a 10-term congressman, and Vance, a venture capitalist and author of "Hillbilly Elegy," for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman is one of the most expensive and closely watched of the midterms, with Democrats viewing it as a possible pickup opportunity in November.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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