The midterm election cycle is in full swing, but it will still be a couple months before Georgia voters will get to see candidates on the debate stage in Atlanta for the U.S. Senate seat.
Incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is taking on House Representative Mike Collins, a Trump-endorsed candidate, for a crucial seat in November. The two candidates have been locked on one another since Collins won his Republican primary runoff race in June, defeating former college football coach Derek Dooley, a candidate supported by outgoing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
The race has captured national attention as Ossoff becomes one of President Trump's latest targets, earning him a nickname like "Pinky Herman" during a recent Trump speech in Marietta, Georgia.
His name has also been floated as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, despite Ossoff'srepeated denials that he will run for higher office in two years.
Collins, on the other hand, has been swept up in both a House ethics investigation as well as reports that he supports a white nationalist influencer who also happens to be his son-in-law. Repeated attempts to ask Collins about his association with white supremacists, including by USA TODAY, have been dodged, and Collins even cut a press conference outside a Georgia hospital short when reporters asked about the reports.
Ossoff and Collins have actively attacked one another both on social media and in their public remarks, but it will be another two months before the candidates will be able to go head-to-head.
When will Ossoff and Collins debate for GA Senate seat?
Both candidates have now agreed to two formal debates, one with the Atlanta Press Club and a second on Atlanta News First (ANF).
The ANF debate will take place on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Gray Media-owned studios in Doraville. Collins told the outlet he wants to push on Ossoff's background, arguing his own roots owning a truck company is more fitting for Georgia voters. Ossoff told the outlet he wants to hold Collins accountable on the cost of healthcare, his close ties with President Trump and the white supremacist reports.
The debate will be televised across all Gray stations in the state of Georgia.
A second debate has also been confirmed for Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. on the Atlanta Press Club stage. The organization previously held primary debates where Collins took the stage against his Republican opponents. Ossoff ran in the Democratic primary unopposed and did not debate.
The debate will be streamed live on YouTube and on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Will there be other debates between Ossoff and Collins?
While only two debates have been confirmed as of Aug. 6, there could be others in the pipeline.
In July, Ossoff challenged Collins to participate in three televised debates for the general election.
"Collins is pro-cutting your health care, pro-tariffs, and pro-war, and I challenge him to three televised debates where he can try to defend his corruption while I present my vision for Georgia's future," Ossoff said in a July 2 statement.
Collins responded to the challenge on social media saying he was glad Ossoff would be "joining (him) on the debate stage to answer for sending stimulus checks to illegal immigrants, forcing girls to compete against men in sports, and supporting massive inflationary spending that drove up costs for every Georgian," but did not commit to debate dates at that time.
In response to the ANF announcement, Collins said "Georgians deserve to see the difference between their two candidates with their own eyes."
"Jon Ossoff has a disastrous record to answer for, and I look forward to putting it all out in the open on October 8," Collins said in a post on X.
At the same time Ossoff's campaign shared multiple reports of conservatives endorsing him as a candidate, including two South Georgia mayors and a former GOP Senator.
Irene Wright covers Georgia politics as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ossoff and Collins agree to debates. Here's when they will take place
