WCCO Radio in partnership with AARP Minnesota and the Minnesota Credit Unions hosted a U.S. Senate Debate Sunday with incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Royce White. It is the only scheduled debate between the two ahead of Election Day.
Three-term Senator Klobuchar came into the debate maintaining a sizable, double-digit lead in the latest polls in Minnesota although those numbers are down from where she has been in previous races. White comes into the debate maintaining he is a voice for change and a way to upset the status-quo in Washington D.C., but also with some controversial statements and social media posts in his background.
"Our country's coming undone at the seams. I think we can change that but it's going to require some truth," said White in his opening statement. "It's ironic to me that this race is even close, and I don't say that to disrespect Senator Klobuchar but I say to people if you vote for the same things you will get the same result. I want to thank Senator Klobuchar for participating."
Klobuchar focused on several things she's been working on in Washington including prescription drug prices.
"I listen to people and get things done. That's what I do and I believe that's what we need in Washington right now," Klobuchar said in her opening statement.
Early questions focused on the economy and the multiple wars the U.S. is currently involved with in Ukraine and Israel. And of course the border situation which has dominated national politics during this election cycle.
"We need to pass the strong border bill that we just voted on a few months ago," Klobuchar explained. "Unfortunately, it didn't make it through the Senate. This was a bill that was negotiated by a very conservative Republican James Lankford (OK)."
White claims the bill was another example of too many issues being crammed into legislation.
"The border bill was another example of an omnibus, an omnibus legislation where we put a bunch of things into one bill and pass it through," White said. "And we barely give our legislators time to read. It is a bad practice. We need to stop that."
White and Klobuchar also took on election security, specifically 2020, the questioning of the results and January 6th which White says shouldn't discourage Americans from questioning election results. When asked if Trump lost Minnesota in 2020, White explained that he wouldn't fully commit to the result because there is widespread fraud.
"It would appear so, but I can't be sure," says White. "I don't think it's dangerous to say so. And I'm not saying that to undermine the integrity of elections in general, but this is something Americans should be concerned about, which I agree with."
Klobuchar came back to say there's no question Trump lost not only Minnesota, but the general election, and quoted White as saying the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump in past statements she labels as dangerous.
"I think it's so important in this time of divisevness, whether you're a Democrat, Republican or independent, that we uphold the results of the election," Senator Klobuchar says. "If you're going to vote for Donald Trump, OK. If you're going to vote for Kamala Harris, OK. One of my devotions as Chair of the Rules Committee has been to make sure that we have backup paper ballots. I have been advocating for this for years. Good news? Now 97% of states have backup paper ballots. The only ones that don't are a few counties in Texas and a few counties in Louisiana."
"Why do we need backup paper ballots if the machines are secure," asked White in rebuttal.
In closing statements, the candidates laid out a very different view of what they hope to accomplish in the senate. White said the country needs new ideas.
"Ultimately this is an old guard versus a new generation of American politics," says White. "I think we have to reevaluate what the standard of leadership is. Go look at where this country has gone over the last four, five, six administrations who adhere to that post-WWII Democratic liberal order and you tell me if Senator Amy Klobuchar deserves our trust? She can talk about all the legislation she tried to pass if she wants to but what is the net-result?"
Klobuchar was again critical of some of White's past statements and associations like Alex Jones.
"The job of a senator is to represent our state on the national state, on the world stage, and get things does for people," Klobuchar closed with. "My opponent says vulguar things nearly every single day, on his Twitter feed, on his podcast, every singe day insulting people. That's his job. That's what he does. I think a senator is a different kind of job. I think you have to actually listen to people and get things done."
Election Day comes up November 5. A Republican has not won a statewide race in Minnesota since Tim Pawlenty was elected governor in 2006.