Tim Walz and JD Vance played attack dog for their presidential partner in a policy-focused debate about the economy, inflation and rising tensions in the Middle East.

The only vice-presidential matchup ahead of the razor-thin race to the White House saw a less wrought exchange at a time of increasing polarization in American politics.

Both Walz, the 60-year-old Democratic governor of Minnesota, and Vance, the 40-year-old Republican senator from Ohio, acknowledged moments of agreement, shared humanity and the need for bipartisan cooperation while sharply criticizing the top of each other鈥檚 ticket, as is expected in a vice-president debate.

鈥淰ance is brilliant and I鈥檓 expecting good things from him,鈥� said Alec Beck, chairman of the fifth congressional district for the Republican Party of Minnesota, at a watch party in a theatre in New Hope.

鈥淎nd our governor is very good on his feet, even though he鈥檚 not on our team, I give the devil his due. He has a lot of skills in this area.鈥�

Republicans and Democrats were both hoping Tuesday鈥檚 matchup would demonstrate their vice-presidential candidate鈥檚 ability to connect with voters in battleground states that will play a critical role in deciding the U.S. election in November.

鈥淭hey will both be trying to connect with those key Midwestern voters, that鈥檚 part of why each one of them was chosen,鈥� said Matthew Lebo, a specialist in U.S. politics at Western University in London, Ont.

鈥淭hinking about especially male voters in those key Midwestern swing states: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.鈥�

Those states swung Republican when Trump won the 2016 election, and in 2020 they helped put President Joe Biden in the White House.

Vance opened the debate by talking about his life and struggles growing up. Before entering the political sphere, the Republican vice-presidential hopeful rose to fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, 鈥淗illbilly Elegy.鈥�

Walz spoke about being a coach, a teacher and a father.

Both Midwestern candidates took a friendlier tone than was seen in the previous presidential debates during the tumultuous campaign season, which saw Joe Biden drop out of the race after a disastrous performance in the first matchup against Trump.

Political experts have said Harris dominated the presidential debate last month by prodding Trump into tirades that strayed far from his intended goals of focusing on immigration and the economy.

Walz took a different approach, noticeably refraining from calling Vance 鈥渨eird鈥� despite gaining national prominence by giving his Republican rivals the label. Instead he focused on Trump鈥檚 record and fear-based campaigning, contrasting it to Harris鈥� talk of hope for a better future.

Vance also approached the debate differently than his running mate, softening the more forceful tone he鈥檚 become known for during numerous television appearances since he joined the Republican ticket.

Both threw barbs over plans for housing, healthcare and migrants. Little information was gleaned about foreign policy plans or trade, despite comments about keeping American jobs at home.

There was a stark disagreement near the end of the debate when Vance would not answer Walz鈥檚 direct question on whether Trump lost the 2020 election.

Walz said the election denial had to stop because 鈥渋t鈥檚 tearing our country apart鈥� and told viewers they have a choice about 鈥渨ho is going to honour democracy and who is going to honour Donald Trump.鈥�

At a watch party organized by Education Minnesota, the union representing teachers and support professionals, that answer shored up exasperated reactions among educators.

鈥淛D Vance disqualified himself in the last question of the debate by refusing, to date, to say that Joe Biden won, and Donald Trump lost the last election,鈥� said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

鈥淏y refusing, as a former military guy, to condemn an insurrection, by attempting as he did, with virtually every question, to create stories and rewrite history. Tim Walz showed his basic goodness and caring.鈥�

People wore blue shirts in support of Vice-President Kamala Harris and Walz, cheering loudly as the governor, who is a former teacher, brought up Minnesota policies repeatedly throughout the debate.

Both Democrats and Republicans claimed their candidate took the win. Harris-Walz Campaign Chair Jen O鈥橫alley Dillon said Walz showed exactly why Harris picked him.

鈥淚n the debate, Americans got to see a real contrast: a straight talker focused on sharing real solutions, and a slick politician who spent the whole night defending Donald Trump鈥檚 division and failures,鈥� Dillon said in a statement.

Trump鈥檚 campaign meanwhile said Vance 鈥渦nequivocally won tonight鈥檚 debate in dominating fashion.鈥�

鈥淚t was the best debate performance from any Vice-Presidential candidate in history,鈥� said the joint statement from campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.