Candidates take stage as November nears: Here are 4 debates this week to watch

The midterm elections are less than a month away, and candidates are in the thick of debate season as control of Congress hangs in the balance.

This week offers a chance for some candidates in the most competitive races in the country to pull ahead of their opponents.

Here are four debates coming up to keep an eye on: Three Senate races in swing states and Michigan's gubernatorial race.

Ohio: Tim Ryan (D) vs. J.D. Vance (R)

Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican venture capitalist J.D. Vance will face off in a debate on Monday night and another debate next week on Monday night.

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The two candidates are running to fill the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman. After Portman announced his retirement, Democrats saw a critical opportunity to flip the seat blue and help retain their already razor-thin 50-50 majority in the Senate.

The debate is a chance for either candidate to firmly establish a lead. The race is one of the most competitive in the nation, and its outcome could be integral in determining which party gains control of the Senate.

Ryan leads Vance by only 3 percentage points – well within the margin of error – by 46%-43%, according to a poll from Spectrum News and Siena College conducted late last month.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump won Ohio by 8 percentage points. Vance has banked on that same enthusiasm when November comes. He has fully backed Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

Ryan, on the other hand, has been attempting to court independent voters, marketing himself as a moderate keeping an arm's length away from President Joe Biden, telling Fox News he won't be inviting Biden to campaign for him in the Buckeye State.

Wisconsin: Johnson (R) vs. Barnes (D)

Incumbent GOP Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes are sparring for a second and final time in a debate on Thursday night.

Wisconsin is another Senate pickup opportunity for Democrats. Johnson has a 41% approval rating among likely voters, according to a poll by Public Policy Polling.

And the race is neck and neck – both candidates are tied at 47%, according to the same poll.

In their first debate last Friday, the candidates sparred over crime and abortion, issues the two have relied on heading into November.

Johnson has anchored his campaign on crime, hammering Barnes for his previous support of reducing police budgets. In their first debate, Johnson said Barnes had “a long history of being supported by people that are leading the effort,” to defund the police.

Barnes blasted Johnson for his comments calling “the overturning of Roe v. Wade a victory,” when the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion.

Georgia: Warnock (D) vs. Walker (R)

On Friday night, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and former NFL running back Herschel Walker are squaring off in their first and likely only debate before the election.

After both Biden and Warnock won Georgia in upset victories in 2020, Democrats are hoping to hold onto the seat.

The race’s landscape has shifted as Walker – who has depicted himself as a strong anti-abortion candidate – deals with reports that he paid for a woman’s abortion over a decade ago.

First reported by the Daily Beast, Walker vehemently denied the allegations and told Fox News he had “no idea” who the woman could be. Following Walker’s denial, the Daily Beast also reported that the woman is the mother of one of Walker’s children.

The allegations are almost sure to come up in Friday's debate. Walker has continued to deny the reports, and Warnock has avoided directly commenting on the allegations, instead telling reporters “We have seen some disturbing things.”

Michigan: Whitmer (D) vs. Dixon (R)

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is running for a second term as Governor of Michigan, but she’ll have to overcome GOP challenger Tudor Dixon. The candidates are scheduled for two debates, on Thursday night and another on Oct. 25.

Dixon has been trailing Whitmer, according to multiple polls. Whitmer leads Dixon by 6 percentage points, at 53%-47%, according to a poll from CBS News and YouGov.

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According to the same poll, 55% of registered voters in Michigan describe Dixon as “extreme.” Whitmer and Democrats have used voter perception to their advantage. On Michigan airwaves, Democratic ads have slammed Dixon for her support of an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate candidates in key races take stage: Debates to watch this week