Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes were set to meet Friday night in the first of two planned debates in a close race that could help decide control of the U.S. Senate.
Johnson, seeking his third term, and Barnes, Wisconsin's lieutenant governor, agreed to a one-hour, televised debate hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association in Milwaukee.
Abortion, crime and inflation have dominated the race. An 1849 law banning abortion led clinics in Wisconsin to stop providing abortion services after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that protected abortion rights. Barnes has highlighted Johnson's support for anti-abortion legislation. Polls have repeatedly shown a majority of Wisconsinites support abortion rights.
Johnson and other Republicans have attacked Barnes in ads and on the campaign trail as soft on crime because of his support for ending cash bail and past statements on redirecting police funding. Barnes has denied that he wants to defund police.
Johnson is a former plastics manufacturer and multimillionaire who drew former President Donald Trump's endorsement before deciding to run again. Barnes, a state representative before being elected to his current office in 2018, has played up his background as the son of a public school teacher and United Auto Workers union member.
If elected, Barnes would be the state's first Black senator.
The pair's second debate is at Marquette University next Thursday.
