Senate Debates in Michigan, Georgia and Maine Center on Costs, Tariffs and Personal Attacks

Senate candidates in Michigan, Georgia and Maine debated on Thursday night, and the cost of living dominated all three, The Guardian reported. Voters consistently name the price of goods, gas, housing and healthcare as their top concerns this year, according to the outlet.

Tariffs, the war in Iran and personal accusations also featured heavily, with several exchanges turning sharply hostile.

Michigan: Gas prices and a tariff reversal

In the Michigan debate between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, both said they support suspending a fuel tax to ease costs, The Guardian reported. El-Sayed argued that the Iran war, which he said was pushing up gas prices, needs to end. He also criticized Rogers for growing his personal wealth while serving in the U.S. House.

Rogers accused El-Sayed of being influenced by billionaire George Soros and by militant groups, and said the state could not risk his ideology. Those claims were made by Rogers and were not independently verified in the report.

On tariffs, Rogers recently backed away from his earlier support for Trump's tariffs on Canada. In a campaign ad this week he said the "tariff war" must end, according to The Guardian. At the debate he said he had spoken with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about a deal and called current tariffs too high. El-Sayed said he backs targeted tariffs that protect Michigan manufacturing but not Trump's approach, and he accused Rogers of reversing course because of weak polling.

Georgia: Tariffs and a heated personal exchange

In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff repeatedly pressed Republican Rep. Mike Collins to defend his support for Trump's global tariffs, which Ossoff said have hurt Georgia families and growth. Collins, who is trying to narrow Ossoff's lead, blamed inflation on Biden administration policies and on spending measures Ossoff had backed.

A question about data centers turned personal. Ossoff accused Collins of voting to take money from communities and give it to data center developers. He also called Collins a bigot and pointed to staffers the congressman has employed who have expressed white nationalist, antisemitic and extremist views online, according to The Guardian.

Asked about social media posts by his son-in-law promoting white nationalist and antisemitic views, Collins said that was his family and accused Ossoff of spreading falsehoods. He said he has condemned racism and antisemitism, and noted that a New York man was recently charged with threatening to kill him. Collins described Ossoff as a radical whose record left the state less safe and more expensive.

Maine: Accusations over the Iran war

In Maine, where polls show a tight race, Democrat Jackson focused on heating oil and energy costs, The Guardian reported. Sen. Susan Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, defended her record and said Maine benefited from the $50bn rural health transformation fund attached to Trump's signature tax and spending law.

Collins said she had repeatedly backed war powers resolutions to halt military action in Iran. Jackson accused her and her husband of profiting from the war. Collins called that "absolutely outrageous" and demanded an apology.

Both candidates were also pressed on reproductive rights. Jackson said his record has improved and hers has worsened, citing her vote to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. The source text is cut off at that point.

Why it matters for voters

The debates show how pocketbook issues are shaping these races. Fuel costs, tariffs, heating oil and healthcare funding came up in each state, and candidates from both parties tried to assign blame for rising prices. Michigan, Georgia and Maine are described as closely watched contests, and the positions voiced on tariffs and the Iran war indicate what each candidate says he or she would push in the Senate.

The sources do not report any upcoming debates or dates.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian