Incumbent Republican senator Cory Gardner and Democratic opponent and former governor of Colorado John Hickenlooper engaged in a live debate on Oct. 9. This is the third of four debates between these two candidates leading up to the Nov. 3 general election. In this 90-minute debate, the candidates discussed college issues such as student loans, economy, environment, racial justice, abortion, marriage equality and recreational marijuana.
Both Hickenlooper and Gardner said they are eager to create jobs and boost the economy through bipartisan work during Friday’s debate. They also acknowledged that progress only comes when communities work together, but the candidates differed on how these jobs should be created.
Hickenlooper supports transitioning away from jobs in the oil and natural gas industry to companies with a more sustainable focus. On the other hand, Gardner claimed Hickenlooper’s proposal will initially take away 230,000 jobs in the state and does not want to focus on removing fracking or Colorado’s oil industry. Instead, Gardner stated that energy should be placed in advancing small businesses.
Hickenlooper responded to Gardner, saying that training and preparation will prevent job loss in the transition from nonrenewable to renewable energy.
The candidates also discussed student loan debt during the debate, both sympathizing with the fact that students face the burden of student loan debt and engaging in the job market.
Both candidates stated that an increase in Pell Grants would be among their platforms to increase college affordability. Gardner admitted that he is still paying off student loans, so he is passionate about and personally understands the burden on college students all over the state.
Gardner discussed his list of priorities for college affordability, which includes placing more education dollars toward dual and concurrent classes at the high school level. This would allow students to enter college a year or two ahead of their peers. These students would then have the opportunity to finish their degrees in fewer years after high school.
In addition to supporting federal student aid, Hickenlooper said that he believes in a student’s right to renegotiate interest rates on student loans. Hickenlooper also wants to focus on reducing costs upfront, including the possibility of incorporating a “sliding scale” in community colleges across the state. This would adjust tuition based on family income.
Later in the debate, the candidates were asked to speak candidly on their abortion stances. Gardner is pro-life and supports federal regulation on abortion after the 22-week marker. However, he also advocates for over-the-counter, 24/7 access to birth control.
Hickenlooper believes women have basic rights to control their bodies and choose their health care. He acknowledges that a woman will make the right decision for who she is and what she wants. He noted that his platform desires to reduce government involvement in women’s health and unintended pregnancy (which, in turn, reduces abortions). He disagrees with Gardner’s desire for over-the-counter birth control, as it does not allow all women equal access.
To close the debate, the moderator, Anne Trujillo, asked a round of yes-or-no questions.
The first question asked the candidates to state if they believed marriage equality to be settled law in the U.S or an issue the Supreme Court should revisit. The context for this question was fear that the ruling on marriage equality could be overturned in the future. Both candidates did agree and said they hope it to always be the law of the land. When asked if they support a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented people, not just dreamers, the two candidates also said yes.
Many other questions yielded affirmative answers from both Gardner and Hickenlooper: Do you believe recreational marijuana should be legal at the federal level? Do you agree with a desire to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour? Do you agree with cities setting up camps for homeless populations? Do you agree that law enforcement officers should have qualified immunity?
This debate covered a lot of ground and was a display of a wide array of the candidates’ platform values.
2020 elections for the Senate, presidency and the House of Representatives will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3. See the following resources on how to vote in Colorado and deadlines for registration.
