COLUMBUS, Ohio — Election Day is one week away. Voters will be faced with important decision on key races and issues across the state and Northeast Ohio.
On Tuesday night in Columbus, U.S. Senate candidates Tim Ryan and JD Vance appeared on the same stage for the final time as they took part in a town hall event on Fox News.
It was not a debate. Instead, each candidate took the stage separately to answer questions from voters. It became quite noticeable on the GOP-friendly Fox that the questions for the Republican nominee Vance were not very challenging.
Ryan, on the other hand, was on the defensive several times during his session with the audience.
Vance, who previously struggled with explaining his stance on abortion exceptions, fully embraced a national 15-week ban proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Ryan, meanwhile, drew large applause for saying "I think we go back to Roe v. Wade," when asked about his views on abortion.
The Mahoning Valley Democrat also defended his vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, crediting the legislation for economic wins for the Buckeye State. He drew applause from the crowd for his answers on energy.
Both candidates condemned the attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"Paul Pelosi was attacked by someone who is an illegal alien," Vance stated.
We have not independently verified that statement. Calling David DePape an "illegal alien" needs more context. Media outlets from the New York Post to the Washington Post report that DePape entered the U.S. legally from Canada in 2000, but that his visa expired.
As for Ryan, when asked whether he favored eliminating cash bail, he said, "What I'm talking about here is marijuana crimes. I think we need to legalize marijuana."
But in 2019, Ryan told the ACLU that the bail system was "inherently unfair."
The latest Baldwin Wallace University poll has Ryan with a narrow lead over Vance. 50.2% of respondents favored Ryan compared to 46% for the GOP's Vance, with a +/-3.5% margin of error.
Learn more about the race for the U.S. Senate in Ohio below:
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- VOTER GUIDE | November 8 general election in Ohio: See what's on the ballot and how to find your polling place
- Ohio Issue 2 on the November ballot: Here's what you need to know about the measure to ban noncitizen voting
- Ohio Issue 1 on the November ballot: What to know about the constitutional amendment