The top five Republican candidates running for Senate in Ohio face off Monday evening for their second debate in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. …
The top five Republican candidates running for Senate in Ohio face off Monday evening for their second debate in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman. And the showdown in a Fox 8 News in Cleveland debate comes just three days after two of the leading contenders almost came to blows during a heated face-to-face encounter in the first debate between the Republican candidates. Video of nearly physical confrontation on Friday night at a debate outside of Columbus between 2018 Ohio GOP Senate candidate Mike Gibbons, a Cleveland entrepreneur, real estate developer and investment banker, and former Ohio treasurer and former two-time Senate candidate Josh Mandel, quickly went viral. The verbal fireworks ignited after Mandel accused Gibbons of «making millions» off stock in a Chinese company. Responding, Gibbons dismissively accused Mandel of not understanding how investments work. «You’ve never been in the private sector in your entire life. You don’t know squat,» Gibbons charged. «Two tours in Iraq,» Mandel shouted after rising from his seat and moving towards Gibbons. «Don’t tell me I haven’t worked!» «Back off, buddy, or you’re going to end up —,» Gibbons responded. «You’re dealing with the wrong dude.» «No, you’re dealing with the wrong guy,» Mandel countered. «You watch what happens.» The two candidates were physically separated by debate moderators, but not before an expletive was uttered by one of the candidates, although it’s not clear who said it.
