"North Carolinians deserve the truth."
GOP Rep. Ted Budd and Democratic candidate Cheri Beasley faced off Fri. night for their first and only debate of the cycle.
Here's a GIF look at what went down.
Moderators opened Fri. night's debate with a question on abortion access: Budd said he wanted to "save unborn lives."
Budd: “I want to protect lives.”
Beasley said she supported the codification of Roe v. Wade: "[Under abortion bans] women will die."
Budd was asked about his 2021 vote against certifying the 2020 election. Budd responded: "[Biden] is the president."
Beasley: "He continues to spread the big lie."
The two candidates also clashed over immigration: Beasley called for expedited visas for farmworkers Fri. night.
Budd: "I am in support of a wall. It’s not the whole solution, but it’s a large part."
Beasley: "Reform means that we absolutely must secure the border."
On marijuana, Beasley said she would vote to legalize both recreational and medical marijuana.
Budd said that he was opposed to recreational use, but was open to legalizing medical marijuana:
On health care, Beasley said that she would vote to expand the Affordable Care Act:
Budd said that he opposed universal health care, arguing that it would destroy Medicare for seniors:
Who's leading the polls? Per FiveThirtyEight's poll average, Budd is leading Beasley by 1.6 points in the polls.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Budd is "favored" to win the race, with a 71 in 100 chance of winning.
Early voting in North Carolina begins Oct. 20 and ends Nov. 5. (NYT)