The showdown came as President Donald Trump and several in his orbit have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, raising questions on a transfer of power to the vice president were Trump at 74 -- or Democratic nominee Joe Biden at 77 -- to become too ill to serve.
The debate's format was divided into nine 10-minute sections with each candidate having two minutes to respond to the opening question in each segment and the remaining time allowed for follow ups. Moderator Susan Page, Washington Bureau chief of USA Today, did not release the topics in advance.
The sole vice presidential debate follows Trump and Biden's chaotic debate last week in Cleveland.
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern.
Oct 07, 2020, 12:16 PM EDT
Mike Pence: Everything you need to know
Vice President Mike Pence represents a more traditional style of the Republican Party compared to President Donald Trump but has been a loyal second-in-command throughout their first term in office. Pence has been at the forefront, sometimes leading, major policy efforts of the Trump administration, such as the White House's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The pair did not personally know one another prior to their 2016 race, but their first term has strengthened their bond. Pence has been steadfast in his support for the president through controversy, whether it was a ban on travel into the U.S. from predominantly Muslim countries, Trump's impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate, or the decision to resume large, in-person campaign events amid coronavirus.
Michael R. Pence is the 48th and current Vice President of the United States.
ABCNews.com
-ABC News' Justin Gomez
Oct 07, 2020, 11:29 AM EDT
Pence vs. Harris on the issues: Abortion
He speaks at March for Life, the nation's largest annual rally against abortion. She presented a landmark plan to protect abortion rights.
Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris are set to face off on Wednesday in a debate bound to display their drastically opposing views on the issue, which takes on renewed urgency as the Senate considers the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court. Harris is in the unique position of being a sitting Senator who will decide Barrett's fate ahead of the election.
4:01
Harris vs. Pence on the issues
An overview of the vice presidential candidates’ positions on various issues.
ABCNews.com
The two vice presidential candidates represent opposite sides of the spectrum on reproductive rights, as nationwide support for abortion rights remains high. A July 2019 ABC News/Washington Post poll found 60% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, with only 24% saying abortion access should be harder.
A May 2020 poll by Gallup found similar results, with only 20% of respondents saying abortion should be illegal in all circumstances.
Pence charged with sorting out Trump-centered chaos at VP debate
If Wednesday night showcases Sen. Kamala Harris the prosecutor, consider the new evidence added to her case.
And if Vice President Mike Pence is cast as the best explainer and defender of Trumpism, consider how much harder his job has become.
It's been eight short but incredibly long days since the first presidential debate. Since then, President Donald Trump has struggled to denounce white supremacism; refused to commit to accepting the results of the election; spread falsehoods about the voting process; been diagnosed with COVID-19, amid a full-fledged Washington outbreak; choreographed a triumphant return to the White House to urge the nation not to let the pandemic "dominate"; pulled the plug on further coronavirus relief talks until after the election and then reconsidered the move in some late-night tweets.
Enter the number twos -- in a campaign where there's seldom been more attention on the potential need for their services.
Pre-debate squabbles in Salt Lake City include fighting over plexiglass partitions and more space between the candidates to accommodate social distancing. What's really separating the vice-presidential candidates, though, are campaigns of the men at the top of the ticket -- who have distinct styles that are nothing like those of their running mates or each other.
Newly installed plexiglass barriers are shown on the stage ahead of the vice presidential debate in Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah, Oct. 6, 2020, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Four years ago, it was Pence holding steady and calm in a debate with a feisty Sen. Tim Kaine, who faced blowback for his interruptions in a mild-mannered affair. Just last year, Harris' main debate opponent was the man she now shares a ticket with -- bringing set-piece attacks that appeared to nick former Vice President Joe Biden.
Now, amid the chaos of the moment and the relative stability of the campaign, Harris will bring a case that Pence might be uniquely equipped to defend.
-ABC News' Political Director Rick Klein
Oct 07, 2020, 10:10 AM EDT
Harris tests negative for coronavirus
Sen. Harris underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 yesterday and COVID-19 was not detected, per a Harris aide.
