Candidates agree on very little in Colorado Congressional District 8 debate, spar on immigration and abortion
As Election Day draws near, all eyes are on Colorado's Congressional District 8. The race is one of handful that will decide control of the U.S. House.
The candidates went toe-to-toe Friday in a debate hosted by CBS News Colorado. Your Political Reporter Shaun Boyd moderated the debate that covered everything from the supply of electricity to food safety and health care.
But immigration dominated the debate. Republican challenger Gabe Evans hammered Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo's votes on border security.
"(She) voted against building more border wall, voted to lower to effectively an unenforceable level the penalty for drug dealers in our community, voted for defund the police legislation, voted for sanctuary city and state legislation," he said.
Caraveo admits her views on immigration may not always align with her constituents.
Three years ago, she called for defunding Immigration and Customs and Border Patrol. She's now changed her mind.
Boyd asked her "If your beliefs are so different from your constituents, are you really the best person to represent them?"
Caraveo responded: "Yes, because every single day I have tough conversations with constituents and I take their advice and their opinions into account."
If border security is Caraveo's Achilles heel, abortion is Evans'. Two years ago, he filled out a survey that included an exception for the mother's life only.
"Now that he's running for congress and he knows that public opinion is against him try he's trying to reverse his opinion," says Caraveo.
Evans insisted his position hasn't changed.
"So I've been very clear on my position. I do not support a national abortion ban. I support exceptions for rape, incest, for life of the mother," Evans said.
Boyd asked him, "Do you support other exceptions? Early in a pregnancy, before viability?"
Evans responded, "I think the Supreme Court was very clear when it ruled on this. It sent the issue back to the states. And so that's going to be something the states are left to figure out."
He refused to say where he stood on other exceptions.
The candidates also weighed in on the cost of living.
Caraveo sponsored a bill to cap the price of certain drugs in Colorado but doesn't agree with broader price controls pushed by Vice President Kamala Harris.
"I think that for medications it's very different but I would not do that across the board in other sectors," she said.
Evans also pushed back on former President Donald Trump's plan to impose a 10 to 20% tariff on all imports.
"For countries like China we have to make sure that we're using every tool at our disposal to make sure that they are playing by the international rules and that our corporations and companies -- our jobmakers here in the United States -- have a level playing field to compete," he said. "For the rest of the international economy -- for folks that are trying to follow the rules? I'm generally free trade person."
The debate made it clear; the candidates agree on very little, giving voters two distinct choices, in a race that the most recent poll shows is a toss-up.