Pence, Harris face off in VP debate with diverging views of America

Amid the controversy surrounding a plexiglass barrier at the vice presidential debate Wednesday, a number of Senate debates across the country have utilized the measures.

In last Friday's South Carolina debate, Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison brought his own plexiglass divider to his debate against Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Both candidates said they tested negative the day before the debate and those attending had to fill out a questionnaire saying they had no symptoms.

The Arizona Senate debate on Tuesday night also saw the candidates using plexiglass dividers.

In Colorado, Sen. Cory Gardner and Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper were separated with plexiglass dividers. Both candidates tested negative prior to the debate.

In North Carolina's debate last Thursday, plexiglass wasn't used, but Sen. Thom Tillis and challenger Cal Cunningham were socially distanced from each other and the moderator.

In Iowa, Theresa Greenfield and Sen. Joni Ernst shared a table with the moderators. All were separated by plexiglass barriers.

-ABC News' Meg Cunningham and Kendall Karson

Women's rights and advocacy organizations on the left have been working together to promote Harris's candidacy. This week they are gearing up too against what they fear will be sexist or otherwise biased attacks during the vice presidential debate Wednesday.

The long list of organizations, including BlackPAC, Color of Change PAC, EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE!, Planned Parenthood Votes! and UltraViolet say they are working in tandem on messaging and outreach. On the phone with ABC News, Shaunna Thomas, the head of UltraViolet, argued that female politicians are still more likely to face attacks -- subtle as they may be -- about their qualifications, trustworthiness and character. She said the coalition was planning to release content on social media and around neighborhoods Wednesday with an eye toward women of color in battleground states.

They want to underscore again the historic nature of the ticket.

"A lot of people are excited about this long overdue and historic moment for women of color and the whole country. Never has a woman of color served in such a position ... and it's time," she said.

The coordinated push comes as Biden again leaned into the issue of race and inequity in America on Tuesday during his event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

"I think about what it takes for a Black person to love America that has a deep love for this country that has -- for far too long -- never been recognized," he said on the historic Civil War battlefield after talking about his conversations with the families of Black Americans whose loved ones have been killed by police.

-ABC News' MaryAlice Parks

Vice President Mike Pence tested negative for the coronavirus on Wednesday, according to his office.

Pence’s office said on Tuesday that the vice president had gotten a negative PCR test Tuesday afternoon and negative rapid test Tuesday morning -- Pence had also gotten a negative PCR test Monday. Pence's most recent negative result was from an antigen test.

Pence’s office has not responded to questions about what type of test members of the vice president's group attending the debate were using.

Sen. Harris also tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Averi Harper

While President Donald Trump resisted typical debate preparations, Vice President Mike Pence has held lengthy mock debate sessions and enlisted the help of a former prosecutor and state attorney general to play his opponent.

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi -- who was also a member of the president's impeachment defense team -- was tasked to play the role of Sen. Kamala Harris in mock debate sessions with Pence in Washington, D.C. before he left for Utah.

Bondi is a career prosecutor who has a history with Kamala Harris -- both served as state attorney generals.

"Kamala was my colleague when we were attorneys general together and she's very smart, she's a seasoned debated, you know she's career prosecutor so prosecutors can debate and they can debate well," Bondi told Fox News.

While top aides privately call Pence "on-message Mike," referring to his more measured, consistent tone, he will be forced to defend the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as the president suggests his contracting COVID-19 was an act of political courage to help him lead the fight against the virus.

Aides plan to use Pence's experience as the head of the White House coronavirus task force to frame him as being on the "front lines" of fighting for the American people on COVID-19.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has also been advising Pence. Walker helped Pence prepare for the last vice presidential debate against Sen. Tim Kaine in 2016.

Walker told Fox & Friends on Wednesday that there's no doubt Pence will face questions on COVID-19, but will focus on how the administration took quick action -- including shutting down China travel.

Walker said Pence will be "calm" but also "emotional and aggressive" during Wednesday's debate.

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Katherine Faulders