MADISON, Wis. (AP) \u2014 Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes stuck to their scripts \u2014 and their time limits \u2014 as they met for a debate Friday evening in a hotly contested race that could determine party control of the U.S. Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In battleground Wisconsin, it was a welcome chance for both candidates to clarify their positions on a variety of issues, and though they disagreed on most subjects, their comments were similar to those they\u2019ve made on the campaign trail. Here are the key takeaways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE ECONOMY<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inflation is one of the issues most felt by voters this\u00a0midterm,\u00a0with noticeable increases in the prices of everyday expenses like groceries, rent and utilities. It\u2019s also among the top issues Wisconsin voters are concerned about, recent polling has shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson was hesitant to commit to supporting increases in the minimum wage, saying he would \u201cpossibly consider it.\u201d The incumbent also blamed Democrats for inflation, saying jobs and the economy were better under former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barnes reiterated his support for a $15 minimum wage as well as an approach to job creation that includes technical and trade education. Johnson questioned several references Barnes made to his working-class background, saying he was unaware of what experience the lieutenant governor has in the private sector other than his parents\u2019 jobs as a schoolteacher and a factory worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barnes, who has made support for\u00a0abortion rights\u00a0central to his campaign, said he would \u201cabsolutely vote to codify Roe v. Wade\u201d into federal law as a senator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson again voiced support for a statewide referendum on abortion \u2014 an option that seems unlikely after the state Legislature quickly ended a special session called by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers earlier this week to consider allowing ballot measures. Barnes accused Johnson of running from his record of supporting anti-abortion legislation, saying the senator knows a referendum won\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 173-year-old law bans abortions in Wisconsin except to save the life of the mother. Doctors stopped providing abortions after the Supreme Court handed down its decision overturning Roe v. Wade in June. Polling has shown that a majority of people in Wisconsin support abortion rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CRIME<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A flurry of attack ads have from Johnson and other Republicans have branded Barnes as \u201cdangerous\u201d and displayed the lieutenant governor against footage of violent crime. Such ads are a likely reason the lead Barnes held over Johnson in midsummer has since eroded. Barnes supports ending cash bail, but he was clear Friday night that his plan would not allow dangerous offenders out of jail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSenator Johnson may not have encountered a problem he can\u2019t buy his way out of, but that\u2019s not the case for the majority of people in Wisconsin,\u201d said Barnes, sneaking a jab in at the incumbent, who is also a multimillionaire and former businessman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson hit back by highlighting Barnes\u2019 statements on police funding and accusing him of inciting riots during protests against racism in 2020. \u201cHe says it pains him to see fully funded police budgets,\u201d said Johnson. Barnes doesn\u2019t support defunding the police, but he has expressed support for redirecting police funding towards alternative community safety programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The candidates also addressed gun control. \u201cIf gun control were the solution, it would\u2019ve already been solved,\u201d said Johnson, who pinned the blame for gun violence on a lack of social and religious values. Barnes, a Milwaukee native, took the opportunity to decry gun violence and talk about his personal connections to victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CLIMATE CHANGE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe climate has always changed, always will change,\u201d said Johnson, denying that climate change is an issue. The senator also said the federal government should worry less about carbon emissions and more about \u201creal pollution\u201d like the state\u2019s\u00a0ongoing issues with a group of chemicals known as PFAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barnes accused Johnson of protecting special interests in the fossil fuel industry and referenced his conversations with local farmers. Rural voters are a key group in Wisconsin that Barnes has been struggling to gain the support of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When speaking about renewable energy, Johnson said wind and solar energy \u201cmake our grid very unreliable\u201d and instead suggested, \u201cIf you\u2019re concerned about climate change, you should be supporting nuclear power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
JAN. 6 ATTACK<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incumbent senator has downplayed the\u00a0attack on the U.S. Capitol\u00a0on Jan. 6, 2021, saying it \u201cdidn\u2019t seem like an insurrection to me.\u201d On Friday, Johnson also downplayed his role in attempting to deliver a\u00a0slate of false electors\u00a0to former Vice President Mike Pence after the 2020 election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom my standpoint, this is a non-issue,\u201d Johnson said, claiming he had no knowledge of an alternate slate of electors. Both candidates said they believed Pence did the right thing while certifying the results of the 2020 election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harm Venhuizen is a corps member for the Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Venhuizen on Twitte<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela