On Friday, Oct. 14, Republican Herschel Walker will debate Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia. Less than two weeks later, on Oct. 25, Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will face off against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania.
It’s not much of a stretch to say that these one-off debates could decide which party controls the Senate next year. In Georgia, gaffe-prone Walker will need to prove he can go toe to toe with Warnock, who has been narrowly leading Walker in most polls. Warnock, meanwhile, will have to fend off attacks on his liberal voting record in the conservative-leaning purple state.
Walker will also be under the microscope for how he responds to the series of scandals that have engulfed his campaign. National Republicans are sticking with Walker — not that they have much of a choice — but are worried that allegations that he paid for an abortion combined with his frequent verbal stumbles could sink his candidacy.
Fetterman, who suffered a stroke earlier this year, will also be closely watched when he debates Oz. The Democrat has seen his lead in the race shrink in recent weeks amid ongoing questions about his health. He’s also been dealing with a pummeling on the airwaves from Oz and his allies, who have attacked Fetterman’s approach to crime. And an interview with MSNBC this week did little to quell worries that Fetterman is still struggling with the aftermath of his stroke.
Oz, a celebrity doctor and first-time candidate, will need to rebut ongoing charges that he has little connection to Pennsylvania. Over the summer, Oz released a much-mocked viral video in which he attempted to make a point about high grocery prices by buying crudités at a store he identified as “Wegners.” The erstwhile New Jerseyan was actually in a Redner’s, a Pennsylvania grocery chain, which he appeared to mix up with another regional chain, Wegmans. (Oz later blamed exhaustion for the flub.)
Pennsylvania and Georgia are also home to two high-profile races for governor. In Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has maintained a consistent lead over Democrat Stacey Abrams. And in Pennsylvania, Attorney General Josh Shapiro appears to be way ahead of his Republican challenger, hard-right state Sen. Doug Mastriano.
Oz and Warnock will likely need some help from ticket-splitting swing voters. Oz wants to win over enough Shapiro voters to score a win over Fetterman in what’s expected to be a tight contest. Warnock is trying to pull off a similar strategy in Georgia, where he’s been polling ahead of Abrams.
Fetterman and Walker have also tried to manage expectations for their debate performances. In Fetterman’s case, that has involved explaining that he is still somewhat impaired by his stroke. Walker has been more blunt, telling the Savannah Morning News last month that he’s “a country boy” who’s “not that smart.”
Warnock, Walker continued, “is smart and wears these nice suits. So, he is going to show up and embarrass me at the debate Oct. 14, and I'm just waiting to show up and I will do my best.”
What’s at stake: As of now, control of the Senate is likely to be decided by the contests in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia. The Nevada race features two experienced candidates in Republican Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general, and Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. But Masto and Laxalt have so far refused to agree to a debate. | 
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