Vance narrowly wins VP debate over Walz: Polls

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, appears to have claimed the win in the CBS News vice presidential debate, with a series of polls narrowly indicating that he outperformed Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn.

Moderated by the network's Margaret Brennan and Norah O'Donnell, the Tuesday evening spectacle saw the pair largely eschew the pugilism that has become characteristic of political debates in recent years and focus heavily on policy issues.

In the network's post-debate poll, 42% said Vance won the debate, compared to 41% who said the same of Walz and 17% who felt the showdown was a tie.

Vance outperformed expectations with CNN's audience, moreover. Prior to the debate, 54% expected Walz to fair better, compared to 45% who had higher hopes for Vance. After watching, however, 51% said Vance fared better, while 49% chose Walz.

Pollster Frank Luntz, meanwhile, observed a more sizeable shift in Vance's favor, noting that his panel broke 12-2 for Vance, with only five participants initially leaning toward him and Trump.