Senator Jon Ossoff and Representative Mike Collins debated for the second and final time on Tuesday for a Georgia Senate seat. Collins hit his opponent harder this time, saying Ossoff "views his success not as what he does for Georgia, but the number of clicks he gets on social media."
Representative Mike Collins, who lags Senator Jon Ossoff in public polls, hit his opponent harder in a second and final debate on Tuesday.
Senator Jon Ossoff, the Democratic incumbent, and Representative Mike Collins, the Republican challenger, debated for the second and final time on Tuesday in the contest for a Georgia Senate seat.
Mr. Collins, who faced a barrage of attacks from Mr. Ossoff when the rivals debated last week, needed to find a way to make a final argument to independent voters. Georgians began voting early in person on Tuesday.
The congressman hit the senator harder than he did at the first debate, casting the election as a choice between "Georgia and Georgetown," a reference to Mr. Ossoff's alma mater. And the debate was somewhat less focused on the high costs that Mr. Ossoff has hammered Mr. Collins on throughout the campaign.
Here are seven takeaways from Tuesday night's debate.
Collins comes out swinging.
Polls suggest that Mr. Collins lags behind Mr. Ossoff in the race. Republicans have pulled some of their advertising money as a result, thinking it is better spent elsewhere before Nov. 3.
Perhaps sensing that his window to make an impression is closing, Mr. Collins tried to stick as much as he could on Mr. Ossoff. The congressman delivered his scripted opening more crisply than he did last week. Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Collins said, "views his success not as what he does for Georgia, but the number of clicks he gets on social media."
Mr. Collins tried to hang inflation and ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Mr. Ossoff. He boasted about how Republicans limited illegal border crossings and painted Democrats, including Mr. Ossoff, as socialists.