WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thom Tillis and Cal Cunningham went toe-to-toe in a televised debate for a second time in as many weeks, sparring over the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, healthcare, and more.

Cunningham, the Democrat, is vying to unseat Sen. Tillis, the incumbent Republican, in this fall’s must-watch U.S. Senate race in North Carolina. It's a match-up that could prove pivotal in determining which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.

The debate, which aired on Nexstar television stations across the state, started with that new opening on the Supreme Court bench. Cunningham criticized Tillis for suggesting he is already prepared to support President Donald Trump’s yet unnamed nominee.

“Rather than act as a check and balance, Sen. Tillis has written a blank check to the president. He has forfeited his right to independence of judgement here on behalf of the people of our state,” Cunningham said.

Tillis, meanwhile, said he already knows the list of nominees the president is choosing from. He argued Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden should release his own list of judges, as Trump has.

“Joe Biden is ducking the question, Cal Cunningham is supporting Joe Biden. We all know that they’re going to be radical left judges who will vote against the Second Amendment,” Tillis said.

Also on the courts, Cunningham broke with some in his own party who have floated the idea of adding additional justices to the nation’s highest bench if Trump succeeds in filling the seat once occupied by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a conservative justice. Cunningham said he believes the current nine justices is an appropriate number.

RELATED: North Carolina U.S. Senate Candidates Spar Over Coronavirus Response, Vaccine in First Debate

On healthcare, the two sparred over the future of the Affordable Care Act.

Asked how to ensure more North Carolinians have access to insurance, Tillis said, “If we get the economy moving, it's going to be the fastest way to get more people back on the healthcare rolls.”

“We need to continue to look at ways to reduce costs and make insurance more affordable,” he continued. “The problem I have with the Affordable Care Act is people have policies that they can’t use unless they’re in a catastrophic condition because they can’t pay the deductibles, the copay, and the out of pocket expense.

Cunningham, meanwhile, called for building on Obamacare, while taking a swipe at Tillis’s past to repeal the law.

“We must build on the Affordable Care Act. I’m going to fight to protect pre-existing conditions…Sen. Tillis has voted to take it away,” he said. “I fought for and advocated for expanding Medicaid in this state. Sen. Tillis, when he was Speaker of the House, he blocked it.”

Tillis has introduced legislation dealing with pre-existing conditions, though an analysis by The New York Times suggests it falls short of the protections included in the Affordable Care Act.

Third and Final Debate

Tillis and Cunningham are set to square off in a televised debate for a third and final time. The debate will take place on Spectrum News 1 on October 1. Tim Boyum is set to moderate. You can submit questions for the candidates here.