U.S. Senate candidates face off in TV debate
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján and former TV meteorologist Mark Ronchetti clashed on several key issues Monday night in a televised debate in the U.S. Senate race.
Topics included whether federal law enforcement should operate in Albuquerque, the status of the Affordable Care Act on health and whether the president, the Senate or the House was responsible for a delay in passing another COVID-19 relief bill.
Libertarian Bob Walsh dodged most of the fray and offered himself as the obvious alternative to voters weary of Democrats and Republicans.
The candidates, vying to fill the seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tom Udall, participated from three locations in the debate co-hosted by KOB-TV and The New Mexican.
Due to concerns about COVID-19, Walsh, 83, participated from his home in Santa Fe. Luján, a Democrat, spoke from his campaign office in Albuquer
que. Only the Republican Ronchetti answered questions from the KOB-TV newsroom.
Luján played up his native New Mexican roots and portrayed himself as the man of the hour, every hour, pitching in to help residents around the state access affordable health care and clean water.
Ronchetti, a former chief meteorologist for KRQE-TV, cast himself as a political outsider best poised to shake things up in Congress. He also said he would find ways to support small-business owners and get tough on crime.
Walsh, meanwhile, used almost every question as an opportunity to criticize the federal government’s overreach and to fire away at both Democrats and Republicans.
Luján, 48, of Nambé, who is the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives as the assistant speaker of the House, is considered the favorite in the race, given his dozen of years in Congress and wide name recognition throughout Northern New Mexico. Recent polls have shown him with a ninepoint lead over the 46-year-old Ronchetti.
When it comes to economic toll of COVID-19, Luján said the federal government should send out “another round of direct payments for people across New Mexico of $1,200,” and provide more aid for small businesses and workers.
Ronchetti said Congress could “step in right now” and address the issue, especially by offering stimulus aid to businesses that were left out of earlier initiatives, but said partisan fighting “is leaving everyone here at home out to dry.”
Lujan and Ronchetti voiced support for the state’s national laboratories. But they managed to avoid direct answers to a tough question: whether they had any safety concerns about the U.S. Department of Energy’s plan to increase production of plutonium pits, the triggers used in nuclear weapons, at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Lujan’s response: “Our national labs in New Mexico have changed the world.”
Ronchetti said: “Our labs are a critical part of our communities here and a critical part of our nuclear mission.”
Walsh, who has worked for both Sandia National Laboratories and the Los Alamos lab, had a different view: “We should unilaterally get rid of our nuclear weapons.”
Luján often referred to his work on legislation that helps New Mexicans address an array of issues, including health care and COVID-19.
Ronchetti said he would work with people from both parties to bring muchneeded positive change to New Mexico.
“We don’t educate our kids enough, we don’t have safe streets, we don’t have job opportunities that so many families deserve,” Ronchetti said. “What happens in Washington isn’t working in New Mexico.”
He took swipes at Luján’s voting record in Congress, accusing him of voting for pay raises for politicians and not military service members — a claim Luján denied.
Luján urged viewers to conduct fact checks on Ronchetti’s claims. “Shame on you, Mark,” Luján said. While Luján touted his efforts on bills generating hundreds of millions of dollars for local police to help with crime-fighting efforts, Ronchetti said he welcomes federal authorities stepping into crime-ridden cities.
“Because the job isn’t being done within the state,” Ronchetti said. “… Someone has to tackle violent crime.”
KOB-TV journalists Chris Ramirez and Tessa Mentus, and New Mexican Editor Phill Casaus asked about a halfdozen questions of each candidate.
The three candidates also got a chance to ask a question of one opponent.
Ronchetti asked Luján how he would make Medicare affordable for all, which he said would cost tens of trillions of dollars over a decade. Luján said he was open to coming up with plans “that will drive down the costs and reduce premiums.”
Luján in turn asked Ronchetti about a statement he reportedly had made about privatizing Medicare and Medicaid. Ronchetti denied making the statement and said his solution is a bipartisan plan to provide affordable health care.