Election 2022: Statewide Candidates – General Election Debates

U.S. Senate Debates

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 | Time To Be Announced
Hosted by: WLWT, a Cincinnati TV station
Site: Miami University’s – Hamilton Campus
1601 University Blvd. | Hamilton 45011
Congressman Tim Ryan has accepted.
J.D. Vance has not agreed.

Monday, October 10, 2022 | Time To Be Announced
Hosted by: WJW Channel 8, a Cleveland TV station
Site: To Be Announced
Congressman Tim Ryan has accepted.
J.D. Vance has accepted.

Monday, October 17, 2022 | Time To Be Announced
Hosted by: WFMJ, a Youngstown TV station
Site: Stambaugh Auditorium
1000 5th Avenue | Youngstown 44504
Congressman Tim Ryan has accepted.
J.D. Vance has accepted.

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The Ohio Debate Commission had scheduled three events
in advance of the November general elections:
The gubernatorial and U.S. Senate debates have officially cancelled.
The Chief Justice forum is still pending.

The gubernatorial debate – CANCELLED
Former Mayor Nan Whaley had accepted. Governor Mike DeWine did not accept.
The U.S. Senate debate – CANCELLED
Congressman Tim Ryan had accepted. J.D. Vance did not accept.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Forum

The forum in the Chief Justice race is still expected to happen.
Justice Jennifer Brunner has accepted.
Justice Maureen O’Connor has not accepted.

All three events are to be held at the
Akron-Summit County Public Library’s main auditorium
60 S. High Street | Akron 44326

As soon as the Ohio Debate Commission provides information
on how to receive tickets and/or listen live via radio, TV or streaming, it will be posted.

What is the Ohio Debate Commission?

The Ohio Debate Commission is a nonprofit organization composed of civic, higher education
and media organizations formed in 2018 to foster better debates.
This year would be its first hosting primary debates. In 2018,
the ODC hosted debates for governor and U.S. Senate.
In 2020, the ODC hosted a virtual debate for Ohio Supreme Court candidates.

Editors in USA TODAY Network Ohio are members of the commission.

Ohio Democratic Party – Debate News Releases
DeWine Debate Watch

Columbus, OH — As debate season starts to ramp up in the closing weeks and days of the election cycle, Mike DeWine has continued to duck committing to debates across Ohio with Mayor Nan Whaley, even as the Mayor has already publicly agreed and challenged DeWine to a number of debates. DeWine also dodged a debate with his primary opponents earlier this year, signaling that he is scared to defend his record to Ohioans, especially since he’s debated political opponents in the past. It’s ‘DeWine Debate Watch’ Day 2, reminding Ohioans that DeWine won’t even try to make his case to them as he seeks re-election to the highest statewide executive office.

“Mike DeWine clearly knows his record over the last four years of selling out working families in favor of the wealthy and well-connected is not going to be popular with Ohio voters. If DeWine can’t even muster the political courage to tell Ohioans why they should re-elect him, he doesn’t deserve the job and should be held publicly accountable for his cowardice,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.

Ohioans deserve answers from DeWine on a number of key issues, including his promise to ‘go as far as we can’ to rip away reproductive rights, his broken promise to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence in Ohio, his connections to the largest public corruption scandal in state history and his role in the failed redistricting process that produced GOP-gerrymandered maps and cost Ohioans millions of dollars.

Read more here and below from the Chronicle Telegram Editorial Board:

Chronicle Telegram Editorial: DeWine Should Debate Whaley
Editorial Board
August 30, 2022

  • Nifty as it was for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to drop by the Lorain County Fair on Saturday, he’s still dodging what should be the bare minimum for a gubernatorial candidate: debating his opponent.

  • DeWine, a Republican seeking a second term, has thus far refused to agree to debate his Democratic opponent, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.

  • That’s all well and good, but talking to fairgoers and reporters isn’t the same thing as sharing a debate stage with Whaley.

  • A debate would allow the public to see how both candidates respond to questions and push back against each other. It would give voters a chance to hear and evaluate the positions, priorities and promises that each candidate would bring to leading a state of more than 11.7 million people.

  • Whaley suggested that DeWine was trying to avoid hard questions about his pro-life stance on abortion and the alleged bribery scandal surrounding the House Bill 6 nuclear power plant bailout.

  • Regardless of whatever perceived advantage there might be in not debating, voters deserve a chance to compare the candidates and their positions side-by-side.

  • The best format to permit that is a debate.

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