Georgia’s U.S. Senate race reached its first televised debate Thursday night, as Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff and Republican challenger Mike Collins prepared to make their case to voters less than a month before Election Day. The debate, hosted by Atlanta News First and scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., was the first of two planned encounters. The candidates were also due to debate at an Atlanta Press Club event Tuesday. In-person early voting begins Oct. 13, and the general election is Nov. 3. Ossoff, seeking a second term, has held a consistent lead in public polling and a substantial fundraising advantage, according to the race’s latest coverage. Collins, a U.S. representative, entered the debate needing to shift the campaign’s momentum. Republican doubts have grown about his ability to close the gap, and national GOP groups have redirected some resources toward other contests, including roughly $2 million moved to South Carolina on Thursday. The candidates’ sharply negative campaign rhetoric raised the prospect of a contentious debate. Ossoff has accused Collins of bigotry and extremism and said he is under federal investigation over the alleged misuse of tax dollars. Collins has attacked Ossoff as a wealthy elitist and portrayed the race as a choice between common sense and what he calls “communism.” Those are campaign claims, not findings established by the debate preview. President Donald Trump, though not on the debate stage, was also a political factor. Collins has remained closely aligned with Trump, while another Republican candidate in Georgia recently sought to distance himself from the president. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Ossoff on Thursday, alongside Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson in Maine. Atlanta News First anchor Rick Folbaum was scheduled to moderate, with journalists from Gray Media stations around Georgia asking questions. The contest is part of a consequential midterm season in a state where Senate and gubernatorial races are drawing national attention.