Senate Candidates Clash Over Inflation and Iran War in Three States

Economic pressures, foreign policy and allegations of extremism dominated closely contested US Senate debates in Georgia, Michigan and Maine on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Democratic and Republican candidates exchanged personal attacks as they sought to influence voters ahead of the midterm elections, which will determine control of the Senate.

The Guardian reported that Democrats need to flip four Republican-held Senate seats to secure a majority. The debates featured incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican Rep.

Mike Collins in Georgia, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, and incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Maine.

Affordability emerged as a central issue across all three contests, with candidates addressing gasoline, groceries, housing, health care and energy costs. Tariff policies and the economic effects of the Iran war also featured prominently, according to the Guardian's coverage.

During the Michigan debate, El-Sayed challenged Rogers over household expenses and the policies supported by President Donald Trump.

"Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries under this guy who’s going to rubber stamp everything Donald Trump tells him to rubber stamp?" El-Sayed asked, according to the Guardian.

Both Michigan candidates supported suspending a fuel tax to ease costs. El-Sayed also argued that the Iran war should end because it was driving up gasoline prices, and accused Rogers of increasing his personal wealth while serving as a US representative.

Rogers countered by accusing El-Sayed of being "bought off" by billionaire George Soros, Hamas and Hezbollah.

"We cannot afford Abdul, and we cannot risk his ideology," Rogers said.

The candidates also disagreed over tariffs on Canadian goods. Rogers had recently reversed his previous support for Trump's tariff policies, saying in a campaign advertisement that "Canada is not our enemy" and that the "tariff war" needed to end.

During the debate, Rogers said he had spoken with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that week to advocate for an agreement between the United States and Canada. He acknowledged that some existing tariffs were "too high and not helpful for us".

El-Sayed said he supported targeted tariffs designed to protect Michigan manufacturers but opposed what he described as Trump's "ham-fisted, chaotic, self-serving" approach.

Accusing Rogers of "flip-flopping" because of declining polling numbers, El-Sayed criticized the timing of his opponent's change in position.

"He’s doing an ad drinking a Labatt and talking about the Red Wings, pretending like he was not for this the entire time," El-Sayed said.

"Be serious, my guy," El-Sayed added.

In Georgia, Ossoff repeatedly pressed Collins to defend his support for Trump's international tariff policies, arguing that they had harmed households and businesses across the state.

"crushed Georgia families" was Ossoff's description of the tariffs' effects, according to the Guardian.

"Let’s see if he has the courage to explain his votes," Ossoff said.

Ossoff continued challenging his opponent over the economic consequences of the policies.

"Still have not heard an explanation for the tariffs," Ossoff said.

Collins blamed inflation on policies implemented by the Biden administration, particularly spending measures that Ossoff had supported. He was seeking to narrow Ossoff's lead in the competitive Georgia race.

The Georgia debate also featured a sharp dispute over data center development and allegations involving people associated with Collins's political operation. Ossoff accused Collins of supporting measures that would shift costs onto local communities while benefiting data center developers.

"Mike Collins voted to take that money out of your pocket and out of your community and give it instead to data center developers," Ossoff said.

Ossoff then attacked Collins over staff members who had expressed white nationalist, antisemitic and extremist views online.

"bigot" was one of Ossoff's descriptions of Collins, who he also accused of having "hired half the Third Reich," the Guardian reported.

Invoking the late civil rights leader and longtime Georgia congressman John Lewis, Ossoff criticized Collins's associations with people accused of promoting white supremacist views.

"If John Lewis were marching today from Selma to Montgomery," Ossoff said, before adding, "Mike Collins would be grabbing a billy club. His office has been in cahoots with some of the most notorious white supremacists on the country."

Collins was questioned about social media posts by his son-in-law that promoted white nationalist and antisemitic views. He rejected Ossoff's criticism of his family.

"You know, Rick, that’s my family," Collins said.

Collins dismissed the accusations as political attacks.

"That’s the craziness that Jon Ossoff has been spewing out there," Collins said.

He also referred to a recent case in which a New York man had been charged after threatening to kill him.

"I’ve condemned racism, antisemitism, hate; I don’t care where the source is. And I tell him that too, it’s wrong. We have no place in this world for that," Collins said.

Collins also sought to portray Ossoff as "radical" and an "extremist," arguing that the senator's record had left Georgia "less safe, more expensive and worse off".

In Maine, the debate between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson focused on energy prices, the Iran war and the incumbent's record. Collins was seeking a sixth term, while Jackson questioned whether she had used her position to challenge the administration's military actions.

Jackson highlighted Collins's leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee and argued that her influence over federal spending gave her leverage over the conflict.

"She’s the Chairman of Appropriations," Jackson said.

Jackson argued that the committee's role in government spending created an opportunity to influence military policy.

"Money has to come through them for these wars – she still can do something," Jackson said.

Collins responded that she had repeatedly supported war powers resolutions intended to halt Trump's military action in Iran. Jackson subsequently accused the senator and her husband of profiting from the war, allegations that prompted an angry response from Collins.

Collins called Jackson's allegation "absolutely outrageous" and demanded an apology.

"You owe me an apology," Collins said.

The Maine candidates also discussed high energy prices and rising heating oil costs. Collins defended her record and pointed to a $50 billion rural health transformation fund included in Trump's major tax and spending legislation, known as the "Big Beautiful bill".

Yahoo's October 9 coverage also highlighted the heated debates across Georgia, Maine and Michigan, while The Washington Post separately emphasized the Georgia contest, including disputes over inflation, health care and Collins's associations with individuals who had expressed white nationalist views.