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U.S. Senate Candidates Clash in Face-to-Face Debate

Iowa PBS

The two candidates for U.S. Senate met face-to-face during a debate on Iowa PBS Monday night after weeks of biting political adds.  You can see the full debate here.

Incumbent Joni Ernst of Red Oak faces a serious challenge from West Des Moines businesswoman, Theresa Greenfield.  A recent poll from the Des Moines Register/Mediacom gave Greenfield a slight lead in the race for the 6-year term.

The two candidates were first asked about President Trump’s taxes and if deductions Iowans were hearing about would be eliminated.  The New York Times reported President Trump didn’t pay taxes in ten of the past 15-years.

The debate started with Ernst (R), and followed Greenfield (D), then morphed into a few different issues in the first four minutes of an hour-long contest.

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SENATE CANDIDATES ON ROE V. WADE

The debate then veered more off course with the host of Iowa Press, Dave Yepsen, trying to keep a civil conversation going as the two candidates started to clash.

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CLASH BETWEEN SENATE CANDIDATES

The hour ended with both candidates giving potential voters one final message.

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SENATE CANDIDATE FINAL STATEMENTS

Iowa PBS is hosting debates for all congressional match-up, except for one.  That’s the 4th Congressional District.  Republican Randy Feenstra of Hull turned down an invitation to debate Democrat J.D. Scholten of Sioux City.  Scholten will be the guest of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS this Friday night.

More information surrounding the debate from the Associated Press:

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst says she has been “very consistent” in her views on Supreme Court nominees despite supporting a vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee while working with other Republicans to block a nomination by President Barack Obama. Ernst was asked about her seemingly contradictory stands during a televised debate with Democrat Theresa Greenfield that touched on topics ranging from the Supreme Court and Trump’s tax returns to health care and racial justice. Ernst says this nomination is different than in 2016 because Republicans control both the Senate and presidency. Greenfield argued the GOP-majority Senate shouldn’t act on Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett fewer than 40 days before the presidential election.