RALEIGH, N.C. – Candidates for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district sparred on everything from healthcare to taxes in a debate Monday night hosted by Spectrum News.
Republican incumbent George Holding and Democrat Linda Coleman presented starkly different visions for the future of their district and the nation.
On last year's new tax law, Coleman tore into Holding, who helped craft the bill as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee in Congress. She said it is mainly helping the wealthy - not the middle class.
"This is not the way the American dream should operate," Coleman said,
Holding stood by the bill, saying it is spurring the economy.
"If Linda Coleman goes to Washington and joins the Democrats in raising taxes and repealing this bill, it will send this economy into a grinding halt," he said.
There were some areas of agreement. Both said the immigration system is need of an overhaul. They also agreed that climate change is an issue and that humans are playing a role in causing it.
They also sparred on the issue of so-called "sanctuary cities." Coleman said they are a non-issue because North Carolina has banned them. Holding, meanwhile, dug in, echoing one of his campaign's advertisements.
"They could be here, unless we stop it in Washington," Holding said.
"What George Holding is doing is fear-mongering -- we cannot run government like that," Coleman said.
There were some areas of agreement. Both said the immigration system is need of an overhaul. They also agreed that climate change is an issue and that humans played a role in it.
The 2nd district is surprisingly competitive, with both candidates saying their internal polls show them as essentially neck-and-neck and within a percentage point or so of each other.
Outside groups are pouring in millions of dollars. Democrats look to the district as a potential pickup in their quest to take back control of the House, a move that would reshape the power dynamics in Washington.
If the House flips, Coleman did not rule out supporting Nancy Pelosi for speaker.
"If she’s the only Democrat running, that’s who I would vote for," she said. "But if there are other Democrats running, I'm going to look at them."
Holding did not necessarily cozy up to President Donald Trump, and instead tried to separate policy from personality.
"I don’t agree with everything the president does, I don't agree with his style on a number of things," he said. "I wish some of these early morning tweets wouldn’t happen."
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6th. Early voting has already started in North Carolina.