U.S. Senate candidates Josh Mandel, Morgan Harper break from primary contests to debate

Haley BeMiller and Mary Jane Sanese, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
Democratic candidate Morgan Harper looks at Republican candidate Josh Mandel while he speaks during an Ohio Senate debate at North Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.
Democratic candidate Morgan Harper looks at Republican candidate Josh Mandel while he speaks during an Ohio Senate debate at North Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

Josh Mandel kicked off a U.S. Senate debate against Morgan Harper by claiming her Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, won't debate her because she's a Black woman.

The Republican former state treasurer later said he would set records for earning votes in the Black community if he wins the GOP primary in May.

Harper, a progressive attorney and community activist, wasn't having it.

"What we don’t need to have happen is Josh Mandel speaking in any way for the Black community," she said.

The moment was a flashpoint in a contentious debate Thursday that bucked tradition by pitting a Republican and Democrat against each other months before the primary. Mandel is widely considered the frontrunner in a crowded GOP race, while Harper is facing a well-funded Ryan for the Democratic nomination.

Democratic candidate Morgan Harper, right, speaks while being watches by Republican candidate Josh Mandel during an Ohio Senate debate at North Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.
Democratic candidate Morgan Harper, right, speaks while being watches by Republican candidate Josh Mandel during an Ohio Senate debate at North Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

Harper and Mandel presented the debate as a way for voters to hear their positions on the issues, and they disagreed on everything from climate change to qualified immunity for police officers. But the event also served as a political stunt to elevate both candidates as they fight for their respective party nominations.

"I’m not the most charismatic guy in the world," Mandel said. "I’m not a movie star or a TV personality. But the one thing I am is a fighter."

The debate was also spurred by Ryan's disinterest in holding one with Harper at this stage in the primary season. His campaign says they'll revisit the matter once the Feb. 2 candidate filing deadline has passed.

"We'll have a debate at some point," Ryan said this week. "We'll have that conversation at some point. But right now we're going to stay focused on making sure we touch every corner of this state, and then we'll figure it out. They're welcome to do what they want in the meantime."

Both Harper and Mandel have openly criticized Ryan for that position – and that's about the only topic they agree on. Mandel is courting the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and his supporters, and Harper contends Ohio Democrats need a new, more progressive formula to win elections.

"My goal through the debate and through this campaign is to defeat Trumpism in our state, and that's what (Mandel) represents," Harper said.

'That's disrespectful to Black people'

The crowd gathered at North Columbus Baptist Church was vocal throughout the evening as Mandel and Harper sparred on stage. Some attendees hoped to come away with a sense of who to vote for in the May 3 primary.

“I already know who I don't want to vote for,” Cheryl Zay of Powell said. “But I'm not sure who I want to vote for. It's a very critical election.

Julian Mack, right, a supporter of Black Lives Matter, confronts Republican candidate Josh Mandel after an Ohio Senate debate at North Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.
Julian Mack, right, a supporter of Black Lives Matter, confronts Republican candidate Josh Mandel after an Ohio Senate debate at North Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

However, Mandel incensed audience members after he called Black Lives Matter advocates "thugs" while discussing his support for police. Michael Aaron of Columbus left in the middle of the event and called the Republican "divorced from reality." Julian Mack approached Mandel afterward and urged him not to reinforce negative stereotypes of Black people.

"Stop bashing people's homes, and I'll stop calling you thugs," Mandel told Mack.

Mack told reporters afterward that the debate was important and showed candidates with opposing views can still get together and discuss the issues. Still, Mandel was espousing "toxic, hurtful rhetoric," he said.

"They asked us as an audience to be respectful, and that's disrespectful to Black people," Mack said. "We're trying to make our communities better, safer, and to have a gross characterization like that – and I think when we're so polarized on opposite sides and we don't engage with each other, those characterizations can exist."

Columbus Dispatch photographer Alie Skowronski contributed to this report.

Haley BeMiller and Mary Jane Sanese are reporters 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.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate race: Josh Mandel, Morgan Harper debate ahead of primary