What Walz’s and Vance’s past debates may reveal about Tuesday’s high-stakes matchup

The only scheduled debate between the vice presidential nominees on Tuesday night – five weeks before Election Day – may also serve as the final word for the campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump before a large audience on national television.

The only scheduled debate between the vice presidential nominees on Tuesday night – five weeks before Election Day – may also serve as the final word for the campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump before a large audience on national television. It’s an unusual twist of fate for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, whose selections over the summer thrust them into an intense political spotlight. A few months ago, Walz was a little-known Democratic governor and former six-term congressman who emerged as an unexpected contender as Harris’ running mate. When Trump announced Vance as his pick at the Republican National Convention in July, the first-term senator had yet to turn 40, and he has served less than two years in elected office. A review of several past general election and primary debates for Vance and Walz yields a picture of two candidates with specific approaches to their previous performances, which could be instructive for this high-stakes moment. The Walz-Vance matchup may be the last debate of the 2024 election, unprecedented in modern presidential campaigns, with Trump rejecting calls from Harris to agree to a second meeting, including one proposed by CNN for October 23 in Atlanta. With an exceedingly tight race entering the closing stretch and early voting underway in a handful of states, the running mates’ showdown Tuesday in New York presents one of the last major opportunities to make the case for their respective tickets. “We’re taking two candidates from relative obscurity to a national platform basically overnight to introduce themselves to the American public and also act as the closing act for their candidates and their parties since there are no more presidential debates scheduled,” said Democratic strategist Rebecca Pearcey. Walz’s time in elected office spans almost 20 years. The debates reviewed started in 2010, during his second reelection campaign to the House, through his 2022 gubernatorial reelection. Vance, a first-time candidate during his 2022 US Senate campaign, has participated in only two general election debates and a handful of GOP primary debates and forums.