A series of Senate debates ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections featured personal attacks, disputes over candidates’ records and several exchanges that drew attention beyond the states involved. The reported episodes spanned general-election contests and party primaries.
In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed met for their first head-to-head debate on Oct. 8. The candidates repeatedly interrupted one another, and their argument reportedly continued during a commercial break. Moderator Rick Albin said he had not previously seen a debate continue that way during a break. At one point, he urged the candidates to stop adding rebuttals so the discussion could move through its questions.
Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s medical credentials and accused him of misleading voters, while the two also argued about property and investments. El-Sayed accused Rogers of benefiting from corporate connections after leaving Congress and criticized his support for President Donald Trump. Rogers called El-Sayed a “con man”; El-Sayed described Rogers as “weak” and “cowardly.”
In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff accused Republican Rep. Mike Collins of ties to white nationalists and said Collins had hired people with extremist connections. Ossoff made the charges during the candidates’ Oct. 8 debate, including while questioning Collins about tax incentives for data-center developers. The accusations followed scrutiny of former congressional staffers and Collins’ son-in-law over reported social-media activity and alleged associations.
Collins rejected Ossoff’s characterization, saying he had condemned racism, antisemitism and hate. He also attacked Ossoff as a liberal out of step with Georgia voters and criticized his links to progressive figures. Ossoff invoked civil-rights leader John Lewis in another criticism of Collins.
A South Carolina Republican primary runoff debate on Aug. 18 produced a moment about national-security experience. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, was asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea were U.S. security concerns. She said she was “not that informed on national security,” adding that the subject was not her expertise but that she supported the military. She also cited her brother’s Air Force service and her father’s Army service, and described herself as not being a polished politician.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who had endorsed Graham’s opponent, Rep. Ralph Norman, criticized the admission in a post on X. Haley argued that national-security expertise could not be inherited from Graham’s brother and was important for a senator.
In Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson clashed during an Oct. 8 debate over an allegation about the Iran conflict and financial interests. Jackson accused Collins and her husband of making money from the war and argued that Collins had not used her influence to stop it. Collins called the allegation false and demanded an apology; Jackson responded that Collins owed him one.
The account identifies Collins’ husband, Daffron, as holding stock in Boeing and RTX, two U.S. defense contractors. A financial disclosure filed in May 2026 reported holdings valued at $15,001 to $50,000 in each company. A Collins spokesperson previously told the Maine Independent that a third party managed the investments and that no individual stocks had been bought or sold from Daffron’s account in more than three years.
Another Maine debate, held July 16, featured Ashley Webb, a Democrat seeking her party’s nomination. Asked what qualified her for the Senate, Webb cited having run for office, songwriting and writing her own books. She also spoke about honesty and immigration enforcement. Her answer prompted mockery on social media from conservative commentators Dave Rubin and Bethany Mandel. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Webb said her remarks had been taken out of context and dismissed efforts to belittle her.
