During Tuesday’s debate, Vice presidential nominees Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz knew that their traditionally overlooked contest was about to receive unprecedented national attention.
Instead of directly attacking each other, the candidates directed most of their criticisms towards their respective running mates. Walz raised concerns about Donald Trump’s policies on abortion, the economy, and immigration, while Vance highlighted Kamala Harris’s role as the current Vice President, attributing some responsibility for the Biden administration’s policy shortcomings to her.
Post-debate polls conducted by mainstream media outlets aimed to gauge voter opinions on the candidates’ performances.
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Across these four major snap polls surveying 3,530 likely voters, an average of 48 percent favored Vance’s performance compared to 46 percent for Walz.
As expected, political figures from both sides utilized the media spin room to drum up support for their party’s nominees.
“JD Vance delivered an overwhelming and dominating performance,” stated Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) in the spin room.
When asked about the debate winner, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) proclaimed, “Governor Tim Walz stood strong and defended our democracy in a powerful manner.”
The upcoming Election Day on Nov. 5 is fast approaching, with early voting already underway in some states.
There are no additional presidential debates scheduled for this election cycle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
