Five for Friday: Debate Season

There was no shortage of debates to watch this week, from the highly anticipated vice presidential debate between U.S. Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to face-offs further down the ticket that spotlighted Pennsylvania’s races for U.S. Senate and state attorney general. 

With so much debating going on and so little time until Election Day is here, City & State rounded up the latest debate developments from around the commonwealth and beyond.

Walz and Vance face off in lone VP debate

Walz and Vance met in their first and only vice presidential debate of the cycle this week in New York, where the two candidates participated in a policy-focused and largely civil dialogue that discussed foreign policy, immigration and border security, abortion rights and reproductive health care, and the results of the 2020 presidential election. Both candidates were pressed on past statements and positions, including Vance’s past opposition to his now-running mate, former President Donald Trump, and Walz’s false claim that he was in China for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Walz visited York for a campaign rally with U.S. Sen. John Fetterman the following day, while Vance went to a different swing state: Michigan. 

Casey and McCormick make the case for U.S. Senate

In a high-stakes battle for the U.S. Senate seat up for grabs next month, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Republican nominee David McCormick met Thursday night for a debate hosted by abc27 in Harrisburg. The two traded barbs over Casey’s record in office and McCormick’s time as CEO of Bridgewater Associations, the world’s largest hedge fund. They also outlined their stances on a range of hot-button issues in this year’s election cycle, including immigration policy, the addiction crisis, abortion access, the economy and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Both Casey and McCormick claimed victory following their Thursday night meeting, and the two are set to meet for another debate in Philadelphia on Oct. 15, according to The Associated Press.

DePasquale, Sunday meet in attorney general debate

In the race to determine Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor, former Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and York County District Attorney Dave Sunday met Thursday for a debate hosted by WGAL. DePasquale, a Democrat, highlighted his experience as auditor general, touting his work to uncover thousands of untested rape kits in Pennsylvania, while Sunday leaned on more than a decade of experience as a prosecutor. DePasquale listed protecting democracy, abortion rights and consumer protection as three of his top priorities, while Sunday made the case that Pennsylvania needs an experienced prosecutor in the AG’s office. 

Perry and Stelson to participate in PA-10 debate next week

Pennsylvania politicos will have another debate to look forward to next week when U.S. Rep. Scott Perry debates Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson, who is looking to unseat Perry in the state’s 10th Congressional District. Perry, a Republican and former chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is looking to win another term in Congress in this year’s election, while Stelson, a Democrat and former television news anchor, continues to make the case that Perry is too extreme for his district. The debate will be hosted by abc27 on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and take place at the TV station’s studio in Harrisburg. 

Second debate between Trump, Harris seems unlikely

While former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris clashed in Philadelphia during their first debate on Sept. 10, it doesn’t appear likely that the two major party candidates will meet for another debate before Election Day. Despite efforts from the Harris campaign to goad Trump into a second debate with “chicken” billboards in multiple states, including Pennsylvania, Trump has said via his Truth Social social media app that he won’t participate in a third presidential debate.