Ohio Senate debate: J.D. Vance and Tim Ryan clash heatedly

Ryan zeroed in on Vance’s praise for the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, his about-face on former president Donald Trump and his support for far-right lawmakers such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), saying he was “running around backing these extremists, the most extreme people in the country.” Vance said Ryan had voted in lockstep with President Biden and his party, trying to undermine the centrist persona that has helped Ryan remain competitive in a solidly red state.

The men sometimes talked over each other as they clashed on immigration, allegations of racism and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob in a race that will help determine control of the evenly divided Senate. Vance, a first-time candidate who pulled ahead in the GOP primary with Trump’s endorsement, is neck-and-neck with Ryan in a state that went decisively Republican in 2016 and 2020. He has struggled to raise money and match his Democratic opponent on the airwaves, leading national Republicans to divert millions to a seat many had considered safe.

One of the most contentious back-and-forths Monday erupted over “replacement theory,” a racist trope that Jews, racial minorities and immigrants are actively seeking to replace White, native-born Americans through higher fertility rates and migration.

Greene recently echoed the conspiracy theory at a rally with Trump, saying Biden paved the way for undocumented immigrants “on the verge of replacing you, replacing your jobs and replacing your kids in school and, coming from all over the world … replacing your culture.” And Vance has made unsubstantiated claims that Democratic politicians are allowing undocumented immigrants into the country because they have “decided that they can’t win re-election in 2022 unless they bring in a large number of new voters to replace the voters that are already here.”

Asked about replacement theory, Ryan said of his opponent: “This is who he’s running around with, talking about replacement theory …”

“It’s shameful for you to accuse me of that given my family,” Vance said. “It’s shameful for you to accuse me of that — ”

“My turn, pal,” Ryan said. “My turn.”

“Oh buddy,” Vance replied, as the candidates spoke over each other.

Vance pointed to his biracial children to rebut criticisms that he has echoed the conspiracy theory. Vance’s wife is Indian American.

“This is exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging with the ‘great replacement theory,’ ” Vance said. “… What happens is that my own children, my biracial children, get attacked … 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.”

One of Vance’s top campaign…