Democratic Senate candidates square off in 2nd prime-time debate

The second prime-time debate in Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate primary featured many of the same well-trodden agreements among Democrats, but candidates also took several opportunities to draw contrasts with, and even criticize, their primary opponents over electability, past controversies and energy policies.

Unlike the first televised debate, this contest at Dickinson College in Carlisle featured all four Democratic Senate candidates, not just the front-runners. John Fetterman, Malcolm Kenyatta, Alexandria Khalil and Conor Lamb appeared onstage. The event was not open to the public but was shown on YouTube and PCN TV.

The 90-minute debate was sponsored by investigative nonprofit news site Spotlight PA and its members, which include Trib Total Media. It was moderated by Scott LaMar, host of WITF’s “Smart Talk,” and questions were posed by TribLIVE’s Paula Reed Ward, PennLive’s Ivey DeJesus and The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Julia Terruso.

There were several policies on which all four candidates agreed: No one wanted to send U.S. troops to the war in Ukraine at this time; all candidates support abortion access and making sure Supreme Court nominees support Roe v. Wade; all support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the country; and all backed the Equality Act, which would provide nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people.

Disagreements first arose when candidates were asked about inflation and whether federal covid spending led to rising costs.

Kenyatta, a state representative from Philadelphia, said he believed federal covid stimulus was necessary and it didn’t contribute to inflation. He said he supports helping Americans dealing with pocketbook issues.

“How do we lower the hard costs that people have?” Kenyatta said. “Prescription drugs, child care, health care: These are the things that help people’s pocket books.”

Khalil, a borough councilor in Jenkintown in Montgomery County, said the main problem isn’t inflation but price gouging from large companies and the large bonuses that CEOs are receiving.

Lamb, a U.S. House member from Mt. Lebanon, said the debate about inflation being caused by supply chain issues and things out of people’s control versus federal spending is a “valid debate,” but he added that he supports passing the stimulus. To tackle inflation, he said, he supports a tax increaseto shrink the deficit.

Fetterman said he doesn’t believe stimulus spending is affecting inflation. To tackle inflation, he said he supports suspending the federal gas tax, supporting more domestic energy production and building more goods in the U.S. to increase supply.

According to polling, Fetterman, who currently serves as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, has a comfortable lead over Lamb and Kenyatta. Both of them took opportunities to criticize Fetterman during the debate, but unlike in past debates, Fetterman responded forcefully and criticized Lamb directly.

Lamb and Fetterman traded barbs, with Lamb hinting Fetterman is not supported by swing voters and Fetterman saying that Lamb is too conservative.

Lamb said on multiple occasions he doesn’t believe that Fetterman is electable in a general election. He asked Fetterman whether he supports Medicare For All, a universal health care plan supported by progressives such as U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and a policy that Fetterman had given support to in the past.

Fetterman never answered directly, saying instead he supports “whatever mechanisms that get us closer to health care as a human right.”

Fetterman asked Lamb to address the endorsement Lamb has received from U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia who has drawn the ire of many Democrats for blocking parts of President Biden’s agenda.

Lamb demurred a bit but eventually said he would accept any endorsement from a Democratic senator. Lamb said his voting record in the House shows he has many differences with Manchin.

Kenyatta criticized Fetterman over a 2013 incident in which Fetterman, shotgun in hand, confronted a Black jogger he suspected of being involved in nearby gunfire. Kenyatta has repeatedly called out Fetterman for the incident.

Kenyatta didn’t avoid criticism, either. Khalil pressed him, accusing him of being opposed to fracking. Kenyatta said he is opposed to companies drilling new oil and gas leases, and he believes that companies have enough opportunities to produce energy from current wells.

Pennsylvania is the second largest producer of natural gas in the country.

Fetterman and Lamb diverged from Kenyatta, saying they support Biden’s push to add more drilling sites as a means to increase oil and gas production.

“We need to increase our energy security,” said Fetterman. “I support American energy.”

But Lamb differed from Fetterman, saying he doesn’t support suspending the federal gas tax. The federal gas tax is 18 cents per gallon, but Lamb said there is no guarantee if it is suspended that gas companies will pass those savings on to consumers.

Lamb said the only way to address rising gas prices is to increase production in the U.S.