What's it like to debate JD Vance? We asked the only Democrat who has

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sen. JD Vance will face his biggest test yet Tuesday when he meets Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the debate stage, an opportunity for both vice-presidential candidates to move the needle in a hotly contested race for the White House.

And this won't be Vance's first time going toe-to-toe with a fiery Midwestern Democrat.

Vance twice debated then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan when they ran for an open Ohio Senate seat in 2022. Back then, the "Hillbilly Elegy" author was a well-spoken political newcomer who came with plenty of baggage for Ryan to air on stage. Much of that ? from Vance's past criticism of former President Donald Trump to his quip about "childless cat ladies" ? is fair game for Walz as he seeks to paint the Trump-Vance ticket in a bad light.

More: What's it like to debate Tim Walz?

This time, however, Vance has nearly two years in the Senate and several months of a vice-presidential campaign under his belt. He's accepted more media interviews than anyone at the top of the ticket, including Trump, and often fields reporter questions in front of rally-goers in battleground states. GOP strategist Mark Weaver said that experience made Vance a sharper, more confident politician.

Even Ryan acknowledged his former opponent has strengths that could serve him well during Tuesday's debate. For Walz to be successful, Ryan said, he must hold Vance's feet to the fire and not "let him get away with anything."

"He's able to semi-articulate some kind of intellectual underpinnings of Donald Trump's rants," Ryan said in an interview. "He's very smart. I don't think there's any doubt about that. I would never call him dumb by any means."

Race, crime dominate heated Vance-Ryan debates

Vance will debate Walz at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York with no audience and unmuted mics, although CBS News said Friday that moderators reserve the right to cut them off. In 2022, he and Ryan often interrupted each other and traded personal attacks during their two, hour-long Senate debates.

"I've got three little kids, including a 2-year-old," Vance said during one debate. "One of the things that's true of toddlers and is also apparently true of career politicians is that they accuse you of doing the very thing that they do themselves all the time."

Vance and Ryan discussed issues that will likely come up Tuesday, such as abortion and crime. Much like he does now, Vance recounted his mother's struggle with a substance use disorder as he argued in favor of tighter border security to crack down on the flow of illicit drugs. He also invoked the 2020 racial justice protests while attacking Ryan on law enforcement, a tack he's sure to revive as Walz faces criticism for how he handled demonstrations in Minneapolis after the police murder of George Floyd.

Ryan's counter: "Can you imagine one guy saying out of one side of his mouth he's pro-cop and out of the other side of his mouth he's raising money for the insurrectionists who were beating up the Capitol Police?"

But the most heated moment came during the pair's second debate, when Ryan accused Vance of supporting the great replacement theory.

The conspiracy stokes fear about nonwhite immigrants coming into the United States to diminish the political power of white Americans. Vance told Fox News in 2022 that Democrats were bringing new voters into the country to win reelection, the Associated Press reported.

Vance was openly angry about Ryan's comment, noting he married and had children with an Indian American woman.

"Here’s exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging the great replacement theory: My own children, my biracial children, get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power that you'll accuse me, the father of three beautiful, biracial babies, of engaging in racism," Vance said. "We are sick of it. You can believe in a border without being a racist."

How is Vance preparing for the debate against Walz?

Allies of Vance know all too well that his past comments could be fodder for Walz on Tuesday.

The Trump campaign tapped Walz's fellow Minnesotan, U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, to play the governor during mock debates with Vance, according to a source familiar with the preparations. Usha Vance and senior Trump adviser Jason Miller, along with other top advisers in Vance's orbit, are also helping him get ready for debate day.

Vance hopes to use the debate to "expose Walz's radical record and policy positions," the source said.

Ryan believes Walz will come off as "way more likable and way more pragmatic" than Vance, who is seen by both supporters and detractors as a policy wonk. A September USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found 48% of likely voters had a favorable view of Walz, compared to 36% for Vance. The Ohio senator was also less popular with independent voters.

With just five weeks left in the presidential race, both Vance and Walz must do everything possible to serve as a boon for their tickets.

“The key to this election is which side is viewed as the status quo, and which side is viewed as the change?" Weaver said. "To the extent these candidates can affect that balance, that could be impactful."

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A history of JD Vance's strategy ahead of 2024 VP debate