Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff clashed with his Republican opponent in Thursday’s Senate debate, saying the state should deliver a rejection of President Trump’s agenda in November.
Mr. Ossoff faced off against Rep. Mike Collins, an ardent Trump supporter.
The Republican has represented his deep red district since 2022 and is the author of the Laken Riley Act, a law requiring the federal detention without bond of noncitizens charged with violent crimes.
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Mr. Ossoff is the only Democratic senator seeking reelection in a state won by President Trump in 2024, but has run on a full-throated anti-Trump message.
He accused Mr. Collins of having “sold out Georgia in his pathetic, childlike devotion to Donald Trump” by supporting the president’s trade, military and healthcare policies.
Mr. Ossoff has maintained a consistent advantage in polling and fundraising, prompting The Cook Political Report, a political forecaster, to rate the race “likely Democratic.”
“Georgia doesn’t have a voice in the Senate,” he said, proceeding to call Mr. Ossoff “an extremist who’s voted for men to go in girls’ sports.”
The candidates have agreed to a second debate on Oct. 13.
Mr. Ossoff squarely blamed the high cost of living on the administration’s actions.
“We’re going to repeal the tariffs, we’re going to end this disastrous war in Iran, we’re going to repeal those Medicaid cuts,” he said.
Mr. Collins blamed persistent inflation on “Bidenomics” supported by his opponent and called for increased energy production.
He also criticized Mr. Ossoff for voting against government funding packages during two government shutdowns.
The debate quickly got personal, with Mr. Collins calling Mr. Ossoff a “trust fund kid” who does not understand business and the Democrat accusing him of “ties to White nationalists.”
On Israel, Mr. Ossoff would not say whether he thought it was guilty of committing genocide in its actions during the Israel-Hamas war, saying that determination falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
But he criticized the Israeli government’s conduct in the war and said he sympathized with Palestinians.
Mr. Collins, in turn, accused Mr. Ossoff of extremism and associating with anti-Israel figures.
The two also squared off on election integrity issues.
“Georgia has voter ID [requirements], and that’s good,” said Mr. Ossoff. “Mike Collins and Donald Trump, they’re still obsessed with overturning the 2020 election. … Mike Collins is attacking your voting rights.”
Mr. Collins hammered the Democrat for opposing the SAVE America Act, legislation to require photo identification and proof of citizenship in federal elections.
“Voters need confidence,” he said. “Jon Ossoff requires you to show an ID to show up at his rally, but he doesn’t think you need to do that to go vote.”
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