Election 2024

Walz and Vance agree to date for vice presidential debate

A man waves to the crowd
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign rally in Eau Claire, Wis., on Aug. 7.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have agreed to a date for the first vice presidential debate of the election season.

CBS News announced Wednesday that the Democratic governor agreed to debate on CBS this fall.

“See you on October 1, JD,” Walz posted on X later that afternoon.

Republican Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, responded on X Thursday morning, agreeing to the Oct. 1 CBS debate, but asked for at least one more, possibly in September.

CBS News on Wednesday posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.

The first presidential debate between Vice President Harris and Trump will be on Sept. 10 on ABC.

Officials with the Kamala Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Vance’s acceptance of the earlier debate that he said would be on CNN or whether Walz would participate in that one as well.

Representatives for CNN confirmed that Vance had accepted the network's debate invitation.

“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan of “Face the Nation” will moderate the Oct. 1 debate, according to the network.

Whether or not Walz and Vance would debate before the Nov. 5 general election had been in question. In just the past several weeks, President Joe Biden left the campaign and Democrats selected Harris to lead their ticket.

Vance has largely kept his focus trained on Harris, whom he would have been set to debate before Biden's departure from the race. Vance has lobbed critiques against Walz, including questioning the retired Army National Guardsman's service record.

Former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has said he wanted Vance to debate Walz on CBS, which had been discussing potential dates for that meeting.

The debate is expected weeks after the Sept. 10 top-of-the-ticket debate recently solidified between Trump and Harris on ABC News.

Trump has said he negotiated several other debate dates, on three different networks. Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25.

During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was “happy to have that conversation” about an additional debate.