Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) sought to defend her 30-plus years in the Senate as she fends off a challenge from Republican opponent Tiffany Smiley during the pair’s first and only scheduled debate before the midterm elections in just two weeks.
The two candidates sparred on a number of key voter issues, such as abortion, crime, and inflation, during the hourlong debate on Sunday as part of their last-ditch efforts to sway voters before casting their ballots. Early voting in the state began on Friday.
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Murray has declined to appear at any other scheduled debates, but the pair are set to meet at a town hall forum next Sunday for another one-hour discussion.
Murray has led Smiley in public polls in the weeks leading up to the election, giving the incumbent an 8-point lead as of last week. However, that lead has narrowed as Election Day nears.
Here are the top takeaways from Sunday’s debate.
Smiley attacks Murray’s decadeslong career
At the forefront of the debate was Murray’s lengthy career in the Senate, with Smiley making numerous references to her three decades in office.
“She is the image of big government,” Smiley said. “You are not the mom in tennis shoes anymore.”
Murray is seeking a sixth term in the Senate, while this is Smiley’s first run for public office.
Smiley pointed to rising crime rates in the state, arguing Murray was partly to blame for the increased violence because of her failure to address the issue while in office. The two split on gun control legislation, with Murray backing increased restrictions for gun owners while Smiley said she supported the Second Amendment.
Abortion takes center stage
Abortion emerged as a hot-button issue on the debate stage, mirroring trends that show the issue as a top priority for voters nationwide.
The two candidates clashed over their stances, with Murray using it as a focal point of her campaign — airing several TV ads seeking to paint Smiley as an anti-abortion candidate who would strip women of their reproductive rights. However, Smiley argued that while she is against abortion, she opposes a federal ban on the procedure and would uphold state law.
Current law in Washington allows women to obtain an abortion up until the point of viability, with exceptions if the patient’s health is at risk.
However, Murray pushed to codify Roe v. Wade, which would legalize abortion nationwide.
“This should not be decided by politicians,” Murray replied. “I will pass legislation to codify Roe v. Wade.”
Candidates agree immigration system not working but disagree on consequences
Both Murray and Smiley agreed the federal immigration system was failing to control the flow of immigrants and illegal substances across the border. However, the two disagreed on how the problem should be fixed.
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Smiley spent her allotted time lamenting the flow of dangerous drugs such as fentanyl across the border, calling on the federal government to secure the border. Meanwhile, Murray made a humanitarian plea to fix the border, arguing that assisting asylum-seekers shouldn’t be a political talking point.
“We are a country of immigrants, and we can do better,” Murray said.
