ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — When Georgia’s U.S. Senate candidates take the debate stage, they will face questions from a panel of seasoned journalists representing communities from across Georgia.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection in what is widely viewed as a must-hold seat for Capitol Hill Democrats. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins is challenging Ossoff in his first reelection bid. Georgia’s Senate race is the only contest on the ballot in the nation in which a Democratic senator is running for reelection in a state won by Donald Trump in 2024.

Journalists from Gray Media newsrooms across Georgia — spanning Columbus, Augusta, Savannah, Albany and Telemundo’s statewide broadcast — will participate in the Thursday, Oct. 8 debate hosted by Atlanta News First and broadcast over every Georgia Gray Media outlet.

“People are pinching pennies to try to make ends meet, and it doesn’t feel good. It doesn’t look good. It doesn’t sound good,” said Roslyn Giles, evening anchor for WTVM in Columbus. “They’re looking for some answers.”

Giles noted that while local airwaves are blanketed by political advertising, voters may be getting weary of the saturation. “They’re paying very good attention to what is coming out of the mouths of these candidates and how they’re siding on the issues that are most important to them,” she said.

In Augusta, the local economy is tied to defense, health care and cybersecurity, centered around Fort Gordon and a large Veterans Affairs medical facility.

“Everyone’s talking about the economy,” said Will Rioux, evening anchor and investigative reporter at WRDW in Augusta. “We also have cybersecurity. That’s huge here with Fort Gordon. A lot of our military families want to know what these candidates are going to do and continue to do if they are elected.”

Rioux noted political dynamics shift quickly outside the urban core. “The core metro is heavily Democrat... And then over one county is Columbia County, which is usually where the Republican vote comes in our area,” he said. “Then you get outside to the rural areas, and you see a lot of those go really either way, but more so toward Republicans.”

Along the coast, economic viability is linked to global commerce and maritime infrastructure.

“We’ve got about 100 miles of coastline that sometimes people forget up in Atlanta,” said Mike Cihla, WTOC’s evening anchor in Savannah. “The Georgia ports are a lifeblood for a lot of the goods and services that are dispersed and moved across Georgia.”

Cihla noted that while Chatham County’s urban center leans Democratic, surrounding coastal and rural counties present a strong conservative counterweight. “Chatham County has normally, over the last election cycles, voted blue,” he said. “We get past Chatham County, all the other counties pretty much vote red.”

In southwest Georgia, agricultural survival and access to basic medical services dominate kitchen-table conversations.

“Land issues, rising diesel costs and fertilizer costs are some stories I’ve covered with local farmers here,” said Moriah Norman, evening anchor and reporter for Albany’s WALB. “The price to fertilize their land, grow their produce and keep their business afloat are the biggest concerns for them.”

Norman stressed turnout — not political persuasion alone — will dictate the region’s impact. “Albany is a majority Black city with a Democratic stronghold,” she said. “The main concern for Albany and Dougherty County is voter turnout and not necessarily how the county is going to lean either red or blue.”

For Georgia’s influential Hispanic electorate, statewide representation and shifting federal priorities remain pivotal.

“Agriculture is a big part of the employment for Hispanics in the South and throughout the state, and farming is a big issue,” said Adhemar Montagne, anchor at Telemundo Atlanta. “Immigration is going to be a huge issue for Hispanics, and they’re going to want to hear from candidates, both Republican and Democrat, where they stand.”

Montagne added that shifting attitudes could influence tightly contested margins. “With the small margin between Collins and Ossoff, the Hispanic vote may be the deciding factor,” he said.

How to watch the debate

The Senate debate will air live on Atlanta News First and on Gray Media stations across Georgia. You can watch it on WANF (channel 46) in metro Atlanta and north Georgia; WTOC in Savannah; WPGA in Macon; WRDW in Augusta; WALB in Albany; and WTVM in Columbus. The debate will also be available to stream live and on-demand. Simply download our station news app on your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV or your smart TV devices.

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