Key Themes Emerge From Heated US Midterm Election Debates

As the November elections approach and control of Congress hangs in the balance, several key themes have emerged from the US midterm debates, particularly concerning candidates' relationships with former President Donald Trump and their engagement with voters on economic issues.

Republicans in competitive races are grappling with how closely to align themselves with Trump, a question that has followed the party since 2016. Conservatives who have previously diverged from Trump have often seen less success with voters. While some candidates remain steadfastly aligned with the former president, a Reuters analysis found that two-thirds of candidates in competitive House and Senate races have distanced themselves from Trump in some way during this election cycle. Voters, according to recent polls, are primarily concerned with the cost of living and high fuel prices, while Trump himself has faced low approval ratings in recent months.

Susan Collins, a Republican incumbent in Maine running for her sixth term in the Senate, has consistently maintained distance from Trump. During a recent debate, Collins stated, "I voted with President Biden 91% of the time." She further elaborated, "The fact is, this year alone, this Congress alone, I voted against President Trump 137 times." Collins is facing a more competitive race than anticipated against Democrat Troy Jackson, the former president of the Maine Senate. Polling from mid-September suggests Collins holds a narrow lead, though other surveys indicate Jackson is ahead.

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Out of the 35 Senate seats up for election, 21 will not feature debates among the main candidates, according to an ABC News analysis. A surprising absence of scheduled debates is in the Texas contest between Democratic state representative James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, the former state attorney general. Polls in the traditionally Republican state suggest Talarico is within reach of a victory that could contribute to Democratic control of the Senate. Talarico has accepted four debate invitations, while Paxton has not accepted any, despite his campaign initially indicating he would participate. Trump himself has publicly encouraged the candidates to debate.

"One thing about not showing up is you lose the opportunity to make the case for yourself, and instead, what you do is you give your opponent the ability and the opportunity to make your case as negative as possible," Peter Trumbore, a political science professor at Oakland University, told CBS News last month. He highlighted the missed opportunity for candidates to present their platforms and directly address voter concerns.

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