Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel trade beards at the US Senate Candidates Forum Friday night in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOIO) — U.S. Senate candidates Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel exchanged words and came face to face during a forum Friday night.

The event, sponsored by Freedomworks, brought together Gibbons, a private businessman and Mandel, the former treasurer, as well as Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan, the state’s former Republican chairwoman. Jane Timken and author JD Vance.

All five candidates are vying to succeed incumbent Republican Senator Rob Portman in Washington DC

Ahead of the showdown, candidates were asked whether they would have voted on the $14 billion humanitarian aid package Congress appropriated for Ukraine and what role the United States should play in the war in Classes.

Gibbons said he would have voted for the bill, that the dispute sends a strong message to China that it could also invade Taiwan and that the ban on Russian oil imports does not work because domestic oil production declined under the Biden administration. .

Mandel replied that he was in favor of sending American weapons to Ukraine to help them defend against the Russian army, but also that Russia cannot be separated from China, and discussed the meeting by Vladimir Putin on February 4 in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He then accused Gibbons of “making billions of dollars shipping businesses from Ohio to China” beginning in 2015 with a company called Perfect Fit, LLC.

“Mike, why don’t you come here and explain why you sold it to a company in China called Shanghai Shenda?” Mandel asked.

Shanghai Shenda Co. Ltd, is a Shanghai-based Chinese company engaged in the manufacture, import and export of textile products, as well as property management, according to Bloomberg.com.

Mandel also accused Gibbons of buying and owning shares of Chinese oil companies.

When asked to refute the charges, Gibbons denied involvement in either deal, although Mandel pointed out that Gibbons had filed his stock purchases with the Federal Election Commission.

Gibbons replied, “You may not understand that because you’ve never been in the private sector in your life. You don’t know the squat.

At which Mandel stood up and confronted Gibbons saying “Two tours of Iraq!” Don’t tell me I haven’t worked!

The moderator, Brandon Boxer, stepped in and tried to separate the two, as they continued to chat with each other.

Mandel, trying to get the last word across, is heard making a disparaging remark at Gibbons before sitting down and Gibbons continued his rebuttal.

After the debate, Gibbons’ campaign released a statement condemning Mandel’s actions.

“Josh Mandel is unhinged, unfit and restless – because he’s losing. He’s only professional at one thing: running for office. He’s determined to lie because he’s failing. He doesn’t doesn’t have the temper, experience or courage to be a U.S. senator and voters in Ohio saw how unprepared Josh Mandel was and that will reflect on the May 3 ballot,” said spokeswoman Samantha Coté.

Mandel’s campaign released a statement early Saturday morning regarding the forum.

“Mike Gibbons got upset tonight at being called out for his Chinese oil investments. He claims he doesn’t remember the investment, but it’s part of a pattern of Gibbons’ entire career that earns money by taking American businesses and selling them to foreign interests.While Ohioans struggle to make ends meet in Joe Biden’s America, Mike Gibbons has spent his entire career profiting from shipping jobs overseas and investing in places like China and Russia.

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