From 'Third Reich' to 'Not So Informed': Senate Debates Fire Before Midterms

Candidates in Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina and Maine made personal accusations and unexpected admissions during the debates leading up to their elections.

Mike Rogers and Abdul Al-Sayed clashed in a heated debate in Michigan

Michigan Senate candidates Mike Rogers and Abd al-Said square off in a heated debate over trade tariffs and health care. Pollsters Tim Golding, Ian Murphy and Isaiah Griess analyze the performance as a poll shows a tight 50-49 percent race. Candidates are clashing over key policies and the election is just weeks away.

This November, as control of the U.S. Senate is on hold, candidates across the country are taking turns on the debate stage, offering everything from explosive personal accusations to embarrassing gaffes and unexpected admissions.

The heated exchanges in general election races and contentious primaries alike have been revealing, giving voters a glimpse of the personalities and political differences shaping the battle for Washington.

Some of the encounters have grabbed national headlines, while others have created memorable moments that quickly spread across social media.

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Here are five highlights from the Senate debates leading up to the 2026 midterm elections:

1. Michigan Senate candidates continue to fight business failure

The first face-to-face debate between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abd al-Said on Oct. 8 was unusually combative, with the candidates repeatedly interrupting each other and trading personal attacks.

The conflict became so heated that the argument reportedly continued even after the televised debate went to commercial.

"In 30 years of debate, I've never seen it go on during commercials. But it did," program director Rick Albin said when the broadcast resumed.

The argument got so bad that Albin had to get tough with the candidates.

At one point he told them, "Look, here's the situation. We've got dozens of questions we're going to get to.

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During the hour-long contest, Rogers questioned Al-Sayed's medical credentials, accused him of misleading voters and repeatedly attacked his political ideology. The candidates also battled over their respective assets, including Rogers' home in Florida and Al-Said's overseas investments.

Meanwhile, Alced accused Rogers of enriching himself through corporate ties after leaving Congress and criticized his support for President Donald Trump.

During Thursday night's debate, Rogers called his Democratic challenger a "fraud," while Alced accused the Republican of being "weak" and a "coward."

Albin interjected in one of the controversial exchanges: “I like to be part of the discussion.

2. The Democratic senator accused the Republican challenger of hiring "half of the Third Reich."

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., made a series of accusations against Republican challenger Mike Collins in their first face-to-face debate on Oct. 8, accusing the congressman of having ties to white nationalists and recruiting people with extremist ties.

"Mike Collins has disgraced our state through his personal bias and well-documented ties to white nationalists," Ossoff said in his opening statement.

The Democrat later stepped up his attacks while questioning Collins about his support for tax incentives to benefit data center developers.

"It's not just that you've hired half of the Third Reich to staff your congressional bureau and promote neo-Nazi content online," Ossoff said.

The allegations follow reports from former congressional staffers and Collins' son-in-law, whose social media activities and alleged ties to white nationalists have been investigated. Collins rejected the character, insisting he had consistently condemned extremist rhetoric.

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"I have condemned racism, anti-Semitism, hatred. I don't care where it comes from. And I tell him that," Collins said. "It's wrong. We have no place in this world for it."

Ossoff also cited the late civil rights leader John Lewis, declaring that if Lewis were to march from Selma to Montgomery today, Collins "would have to grab a billy club."

Collins countered by portraying Ossoff as a radical liberal who was out of touch with Georgia voters and accused him of supporting extreme policies. Criticizing his association with progressive political figures.

3. The Republican Senate candidate admits he is "uninformed" about national security.

South Carolina's Republican Senate primary debate made an unexpected admission when Sen. Darlene Graham admitted she's not very familiar with foreign policy.

Appointed to the Senate after the death of her brother, longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, Graham faced Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in an Aug. 18 debate ahead of the state's GOP primary runoff.

Asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea represent national security concerns for the United States, Graham attempted to provide a substantive answer.

"I'm being honest here," Graham said. I'm not that knowledgeable about national security.

Graham went on to emphasize his support for the military, citing his late brother Lindsey Graham's 33 years in the Air Force and his father's service in the military, while acknowledging that he is "not a professional politician."

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He said: "National security is not my subject and my field of expertise, but I support the army."

This acceptance resulted in audible reactions from the audience and subsequent madness in social networks.

Among Graham's critics was former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who supported Graham's main Republican opponent, Norman.

In a post on X after the debate, Haley argued that national security expertise was not something Graham could inherit from her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and emphasized its importance to serving in the U.S. Senate.

4. Collins demanded an apology after his Democratic challenger accused him of profiting from the Iran war.