(The Center Square) - Candidates for U.S. Senate in Alaska sparred over rising gas prices, the U.S. military conflict in Iran, healthcare and the two traded personal jabs in a debate on Thursday.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, faced off against Democratic candidate Mary Peltola in the heated debate. Republicans Dan J. Sullivan, a school teacher, and Gerald Heikes were not invited to participate in the debate because they each received less than 5% of the vote in Alaska’s open primary election. All four candidates will be on November’s ballot.
kAm$F==:G2? 42==65 7@C E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ 4@?7=:4E :? xC2? E@ 6?5 “D@@?]” w6 D2:5 9:89 6?6C8J AC:46D 2C6 5:C64E=J E:65 E@ E96 4@?7=:4E 3FE 42==65 7@C 8C62E6C :?G6DE>6?ED :? 5@>6DE:4 6?6C8J D@FC46D]k^Am
kAm“%96 6?6C8J 4@DED 7C@> E9:D H2C 2C6 E@@ 9:89[” $F==:G2? D2:5] “%96 36DE H2J E@ 3C:?8 5@H? 4@DED H:E9 C682C5 E@ 6?6C8J :? p=2D<2 :D E@ AC@5F46 >@C6 p=2D<2? 6?6C8J 3J 2?5 7@C p=2D<2?D]”k^Am
kAm$F==:G2? A@:?E65 E@ 28C66>6?ED H:E9 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? E@ 56G6=@A 2 Sd_ >:==:@? =:BF67:65 ?2EFC2= 82D A:A6=:?6 :? p=2D<2 H:E9 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8=6?72C?68C@FA]4@>^8=6?72C?6\H6=4@>6D\d_\3:==:@?\A=FD\F\D\<@C62\:?G6DE>6?E\7@C\2=2D<2\=?8^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:?G6DE>6?Ek^2m k^DEC@?8m7C@> $@FE9 z@C62]k^Am
kAm“t?6C8J 4@DED 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 5@H? H96? H6 AC@5F46 >@C6 p>6C:42? 6?6C8J[” $F==:G2? D2:5] “x 92G6 2 DEC@?8 C64@C5 @7 5@:?8 E92E[ H6 2C6 5@:?8 E92E[ 2?5 E92E :D :>A@CE2?E]”k^Am
kAm!6EC@=2 D=2>>65 $F==:G2?’D G@E6D 282:?DE 2 H2C A@H6CD C6D@=FE:@?] %96 :?4F>36?E D6?2E@C G@E65 `c E:>6D 282:?DE 2 C6D@=FE:@? E92E H@F=5 C6DEC2:? !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A’D >:=:E2CJ 2FE9@C:EJ :? xC2?]k^Am
kAm“%96 :DDF6 96C6 :D E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 36:?8 4=@D65 2?5 E9:D ?6G6C 6?5:?8 H2C :? xC2?[” !6=E@=2 D2:5] “%96C6 5@6D ?@E D66> E@ 36 2 A6246 562= @? E96 9@C:K@? 2?5 x E9:?< :E :D D@ :>A@CE2?E E92E @FC >:=:E2CJ 36 C6>@G65 2?5 AC@E64E65]”k^Am
kAm%96 2G6C286 82D AC:46 :? p=2D<2 :D Sc]hc A6C 82==@?[ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^82DAC:46D]222]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm244@C5:?8k^2m k^DEC@?8mE@ ppp] pG6C286 ?2E:@?2= 82D AC:46D 2C6 Sc]ba A6C 82==@?]k^Am
kAm!6=E@=2 D2:5 D96 H@F=5 25G2?46 =68:D=2E:@? E@ 6=:>:?2E6 E96 7656C2= :?4@>6 E2I 7@C p=2D<2?D >2<:?8 =6DD E92? Sha[___ A6C J62C] $96 42==65 7@C 42AA:?8 AC:46D @? AC6D4C:AE:@? 5CF8D]k^Am
kAm!6=E@=2 4C:E:4:K65 %CF>A’D 562= E@ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A@=:E:4@]4@>^?6HD^a_ae^`_^`d^8@AECF>A\CFDD:2?\5:6D6=\562=\_```hedfQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm3FJk^2m k^DEC@?8m#FDD:2? 5:6D6=] %96 562= :D 2 DEC:<:?8 C6G6CD2= 7C@> 564256D @7 &]$] D2?4E:@?D 282:?DE E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 92D 366? 4C:E:4:K65 3J =6256CD :? &<C2:?6]k^Am
kAm“(6 D9@F=5 36 5@:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 H:E9:? @FC A@H6C E@ 96=A DFAA@CE ,&<C2:?6.[ ?@E 3@=DE6C:?8 FA #FDD:2[” !6=E@=2 D2:5] “p:5 E@ &<C2:?6 D9@F=5 36 4@?E:?F2==J 6G2=F2E65 2?5 FD65 67764E:G6=J 2?5 677:4:6?E=J”k^Am
kAm$F==:G2? E@FE65 9:D AC6G:@FD DFAA@CE 7@C &<C2:?6 2?5 D2:5 96 @AA@D6D 677@CED E@ DFAA@CE E96 #FDD:2? 64@?@>J 2D E96 H2C 4@?E:?F6D]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< :EVD 2 8@@5 :562 2E 2==[” $F==:G2? D2:5] “x ;FDE =65 E96 677@CE @? E96 #FDD:2? D2?4E:@?D 24E E92E A2DD65 E96 r@?8C6DD D@ x’> @AA@D65 E@ E92E]”k^Am
kAm%96 D6?2E@C 2EE24<65 !6=E@=2 7@C 96C G@E6 282:?DE 2 G6CD:@? @7 E96 }2E:@?2= s676?D6 pFE9@C:K2E:@? p4E H9:=6 D96 H2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 &]$] w@FD6]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 !6=E@=2 G@E65 282:?DE E96 =68:D=2E:@? :? yF=J a_ab 3642FD6 :E AC6G6?E65 EC2?D86?56C DFC86C:6D 7@C EC@@AD] !6=E@=2 2C8F65 E92E E96 =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 92G6 AC6G6?E65 C6AC@5F4E:G6 2?5 23@CE:@? 42C6 7@C H@>6? 2?5 E92E D96 G@E65 7@C @E96C G6CD:@?D @7 E96 }spp[ :?4=F5:?8 A2J C2:D6D 7@C D6CG:46>6>36CD]k^Am
kAm%96 42?5:52E6D 5:D28C665 @? A2DD286 @7 E96 Q~?6 q:8 q62FE:7F= q:==]Q !6=E@=2 2C8F65 E96 =68:D=2E:@? <:4<65 E9@FD2?5D @7 p=2D<2?D @77 7656C2= 962=E942C6 A=2?D] $F==:G2?[ 9@H6G6C[ kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DF==:G2?]D6?2E6]8@G^?6HDC@@>^AC6DD\C6=62D6D^DF==:G2?\H6=4@>6D\afa\>:==:@?\:?G6DE>6?E\:?\2=2D<2D\962=E9\42C6\DJDE6>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE@FE65k^2m k^DEC@?8mE96 3:==VD S`]c 3:==:@? :?G6DE>6?E :? E96 CFC2= 962=E942C6 EC2?D7@C>2E:@? 7F?5] k^Am
kAmkDA2?mQ%9:D 7F?5:?8 H:== 96=A <66A 42C6 4=@D6C E@ 9@>6[ C65F46 E96 ?665 7@C 4@DE=J 2?5 5:DCFAE:G6 EC2G6=[ DEC6?8E96? CFC2= 4=:?:4D[ 2?5 DE23:=:K6 @FC 962=E9 42C6 H@C<7@C46[Q $F==:G2? D2:5] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m!6=E@=2 D2:5 D96 H@F=5 7:89E E@ C6G6CD6 4FED E@ |65:42:5 >256 E9C@F89 E96 =68:D=2E:@?] $96 D2:5 962=E942C6 AC@76DD:@?2=D 92G6 DECF88=65 E@ >2<6 FD6 @7 E96 EC2?D7@C>2E:@? 7F?5 3642FD6 @7 E96 2DD@4:2E65 DE:AF=2E:@?D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mQ(6 42?VE D@=G6 p=2D<2 492==6?86D H:E9 p=2D<2 D@=FE:@?D 3642FD6 @7 E9@D6 AC@9:3:E:G6 D:563@2C5D[Q !6=E@=2 D2:5] Q%9@FD2?5D @7 p=2D<2?D 2C6 @77 @7 AC:G2E6 962=E942C6 :?DFC2?46 3642FD6 @7 E96 prp E2I 4C65:E 4FED]Qk^DA2?mk^Am
kAm%96 EH@ D6?2E@CD 2=D@ 6I492?865 A6CD@?2= ;23D 2?5 4=2C:7:65 DE2E6>6?ED >256 E9C@F89@FE E96 42>A2:8?] $F==:G2? C63FEE65 244FD2E:@?D 7C@> E96 !6=E@=2 42>A2:8? E92E 96 C67FD65 E@ C6=62D6 5@4F>6?ED 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 4@?G:4E65 D6I @776?56C y677C6J tADE6:?]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 DA6?E >J 42C66C 5676?5:?8 DFCG:G@CD @7 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46[ @7 D6IF2= 2DD2F=E[” $F==:G2? D2:5] “x? E9:D 42D6[ x G@E65 E@ C6=62D6 E96 tADE6:? 7:=6D 2?5 AC@E64E E96 G:4E:>D]”k^Am
kAm!6=E@=2 C67FE65 4=2:>D E92E D96 6?C:4965 96CD6=7 2D 2 =@33J:DE 27E6C =@D:?8 2 3:5 7@C C66=64E:@? :? r@?8C6DD] $F==:G2? 244FD65 96C @7 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ “D6== :?7=F6?46” @? r2A:E@= w:==]k^Am
kAm“s2?VD 366? :? s]r] 7@C `a J62CD 2?5 8@EE6? C:496C 6G6CJ D:?8=6 @?6 @7 E9@D6 J62CD] %92EVD E96 4@CCFAE:@? E92E p=2D<2?D 2C6 C62==J D:4< @7[ 2?5 E92EVD E96 4@CCFAE:@? E92E xV== 7:89E 282:?DE] s2? H6?E E@ s]r] H:E9 Sb >:==:@?] w6 ?@H 92D Sg >:==:@?[” D96 D2:5] Qs2?VD 5@:?8 ;FDE 7:?6 H2E49:?8 @FE 7@C 9:>D6=7]”k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ C67FE65 kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?JE:>6D]4@>^a_ae^_h^ab^FD^A@=:E:4D^>2CJ\A6=E@=2\2=2D<2\D6?2E6\C246]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC6A@CEDk^2m k^DEC@?8mE92E D96 FD65 56C@82E@CJ =2?8F286 282:?DE 82J A6@A=6 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D 2D Q@FEC:89E 723C:42E:@?D]Qk^Am
kAmQx 2> G6CJ 4@?46C?65 23@FE >2<:?8 DFC6 E92E H6 2C6 C6DA64E7F= 2?5 C6DA64E7F= @7 2== A6@A=6[Q !6=E@=2 D2:5] Q%9:D 42>A2:8? :D ?@E 23@FE >6 @? >J H@CDE 52J 2?5 x E9:?< :ED 2 C62= D25 DE2E6>6?E E92E xV> DF49 2 E9C62E 2D 2 42?5:52E6 E92E E96JVC6 H:==:?8 E@ 5@ 2?5 D2J 2?JE9:?8 23@FE >6 E@ 96=A s2? H:?]Qk^Am
kAmt2C=J :?\A6CD@? G@E:?8 :? p=2D<2 :D 7C@> ~4E] ac E@ }@G] `] p3D6?E66 32==@ED C6EFC?65 3J >2:= >FDE 36 A@DE>2C<65 3J t=64E:@? s2J]k^Am
kAm!@==D 2C6 @A6? :? p=2D<2 7C@> f 2]>] E@ g A]>] @? t=64E:@? s2J] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ G:D:E E96 p=2D<2 s:G:D:@? @7 t=64E:@?D H63D:E6[ 2E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^6=64E:@?D]2=2D<2]8@GQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm6=64E:@?D]2=2D<2]8@Gk^2mk^DEC@?8m] u@C C6DF=ED @? t=64E:@? s2J[ G:D:E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^2=2D<2Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^2=2D<2k^2mk^DEC@?8m]k^Am
