Portman, Strickland set 3 debates, first in Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, the Republican incumbent, and ex-Gov. Ted Strickland, his Democratic challenger, say they are looking forward to debating each other.

The campaigns announced Wednesday the two candidates would debate each other three times before the Nov. 8 election. The first debate will be in Youngstown on Oct. 14 and is co-sponsored by The Vindicator and 21 WFMJ-TV. The location of the debate hasn’t been determined.

“I’m going to be talking about the record I’m really proud of, including our record of helping the veterans and what we’ve done for Ohio over the last five years and what we intend to do going forward,” Portman said Wednesday at a suburban Columbus VFW post after receiving the endorsement of Ohio Veterans United.

Portman added: “It’s a big contrast to my opponent. He has a bio up right now that doesn’t [talk] about his record because there’s not much there. When he was in the House, literally I can’t find a single bill that he authored or co-authored that became law. I can point to over 40 just in my time in the Senate and many more when I was in the House.”

Strickland told The Vindicator that Portman “is on the wrong side of every issue that is important to Ohioans. He’s on the wrong side of the trade issue. He’s on the wrong side of the minimum-wage issue. He’s on the wrong side of the pay-equity issue. He’s on the wrong side of the student-debt issue. I could go on and on and on because he’s on the side of the rich and powerful, and I’m on the side of working people. That’s the difference. It’s a pretty decent contrast to draw.”

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.