Meta description: GOP Sen. Susan Collins distanced herself from Trump in Maine's debate while Georgia's race exploded over Epstein files, the same night Iowa's Hinson and Turek faced off.
Senate debates in Maine and Georgia turned into bare-knuckle fights over the Epstein files and corruption allegations on Tuesday night, Oct. 13, while Iowa's own open Senate contest between GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek played out on the same stage-heavy night, according to CNN International.
With Republicans fighting to hold a razor-thin Senate majority and Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to flip the chamber, the debates offered a preview of the closing arguments both parties will run through Election Day.
Georgia Debate Erupts Over Epstein Files
The most explosive moment of the night came in Georgia, where GOP Rep. Mike Collins attacked Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff over donations from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who appears in the Justice Department's Epstein files.
“The Epstein class is on stage right now, and it's you,” Collins said, pressing Ossoff to denounce Hoffman.
Hoffman acknowledged after the files were released that he had met with Epstein multiple times, writing on X: “I only knew Jeffrey Epstein because of a fundraising relationship with MIT, which I very much regret.”
Ossoff punched back, citing Collins' July 2025 House vote against a measure that would have forced DOJ to release the records within 30 days. Collins later joined 426 colleagues in passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November after Trump reversed course and said he would sign it. Millions of documents were eventually released.
“You voted to cover up the evidence, even though you knew 14-year-old girls had been raped, because Donald Trump told you to,” Ossoff said. “Donald Trump, who, by the way, is named 1,000 times in the Epstein files.”
Susan Collins Keeps Her Distance From Trump
In Maine, five-term GOP Sen. Susan Collins worked to stake out independence from Trump, a sign of how vulnerable Republicans are managing the president's falling approval ratings three weeks out.
Collins pointed to her vote against Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” because of its Medicaid cuts and her repeated votes to repeal his tariffs on Canada.
“I have been extremely outspoken in my opposition to Canadian tariffs and I have voted repeatedly to repeal them,” Collins said.
On the Iran war, Collins said Trump lacked a plan and voted with Democrats to end the conflict once it passed the 60-day mark, though the effort fell short.
“I voted with the Democrats to bring the war to an end, but there were not sufficient votes for that to happen,” Collins said. “In addition, I agree that the president did not have a good plan. He should have anticipated the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which part of the world's oil travels.”
Collins still argued she is better positioned than her opponent to deal with the administration, citing her chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The tariff fight hits close to home for Iowa, where trade retaliation has already cost factory jobs, as tariff backlash tests GOP candidates in the midterms.
Corruption Claims Fly in Maine
Both Maine candidates tried to plant an anti-corruption flag. When Collins attacked Democrat Troy Jackson for failing to cut Medicare and Medicaid fraud in the state legislature, Jackson fired back with a ProPublica report alleging Collins steered millions in federal contracts to a Hawaii defense contractor in exchange for 2020 campaign donations.
“I'm shocked that you're talking about fraud because there's only one person up here that's been accused of that by the FBI,” Jackson said.
Collins has called the report a “political hit job,” and her office says the allegations are “categorically false.” She in turn pressed Jackson on who is funding his campaign since he replaced Graham Platner on the ballot this summer.
“I'll give you the report tomorrow morning,” Jackson said, ahead of Thursday's FEC third-quarter filing deadline.
The New York Times, reporting on an earlier round of debates, noted Collins accused Jackson of lying about her record and running “false ads” on the FBI matter.
What It Means for Iowa's Senate Race
Iowa voters got their own head-to-head Tuesday night as Hinson and Turek debated in the state's open Senate contest. Turek, a Paralympic gold medalist, has campaigned as an outsider taking on the Washington establishment, while Hinson has run on the Trump agenda and her appropriations clout.
The national dynamics on display in Maine and Georgia frame Hinson's challenge: vulnerable Republicans are calibrating how closely to stand next to the president, while Epstein-related attacks are spreading from Georgia to campaign ads in Colorado.
For Iowa Republicans, the question is whether Hinson can hold the seat without the defensive scrambling that marked Collins' night in Maine. Readers can revisit Turek's challenge to Hinson for background on the race.
FAQ
Who is running for Iowa's open Senate seat?
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson faces Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in the Nov. 3 election for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat.
Why did the Georgia debate focus on Jeffrey Epstein?
Rep. Mike Collins attacked Sen. Jon Ossoff over donations from Reid Hoffman, who appears in the Justice Department's Epstein files, while Ossoff cited Collins' 2025 vote against forcing their immediate release.
How many seats do Democrats need to flip the Senate?
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms.