October full of debates in key Senate, gubernatorial races

(NewsNation) — With just six weeks until Election Day, voters are about to see the candidates go head-to-head in a series of crucial October debates.

Things kick off Friday in Texas, when Gov. Greg Abbott and his Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke will take the stage in the border town of McAllen. NewsNation will host the first and only scheduled debate between the pair.

In a poll released Tuesday by The Hill/Emerson College, Abbott holds an eight-point edge over O’Rourke.

In Ohio, Republican J.D. Vance and Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan will face off Oct. 10 in the first of two scheduled debates. Polling averages have Vance ahead in the race by about a point.

On Oct. 14 in Georgia, it’s game time for onetime college football star Herschel Walker and incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Polling shows that race to be a virtual tie.

Finally, just two weeks before Election Day, the bitter fight for Pennsylvania’s Senate seat hangs in the balance when Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman faces off against celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz on Oct. 25. Fetterman leads in polling averages by about five points.

How candidates answer some of the tough questions on the debate stage could tip the scales come Election Day. And who wins will help determine the balance of power on Capitol Hill, where the Senate is currently split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans.