EPHRAIM, Utah — The top two candidates in Utah's Fourth Congressional District race clashed in a debate that showcased partisan party divides, but also personal viewpoint differences.
Incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Kennedy and Democratic challenger Jonny Larsen faced off in a statewide televised debate from the campus of Snow College, where they were peppered with questions about the economy, water, public lands and data centers. With each response, they highlighted stark differences.
Asked about the economy and affordability, it pivoted to a debate between the two over the war in Iran.
"I support President Trump as he seeks to bring safety not only to the American people but also to the world," said Kennedy. "But what are we working on to help those gas prices go down? I definitely am working on that. The License to Drill Act has passed the House that I sponsored, the Senate, as well as it's on the president's desk to be signed."
But Larsen, a Marine, criticized Kennedy's voting record.
"The immediate thing that we can do right now is end this illegal war. My opponent over here voted against the War Powers Resolution Act six times," he said, adding: "As a veteran myself, who did two tours in combat, I understand that cost and that price that we pay with American blood."
As they debated ways to lower health care costs and paying for social service programs, things got testy when Larsen criticized Republican priorities.
"Elected Republicans would allow 100 people to go hungry to just make sure one person who they think doesn't earn those rights or that food or that benefit, and I think that's a shame," he told the crowd at Snow College. "I think that's a disservice when we are the richest nation and we can absolutely take care of everyone."
Kennedy interjected to push back.
"The idea that any Republican, let alone myself, wants people to go hungry is nonsense. This is a nightmare that this opponent of mine is trying to create," he said. "I love serving people and have served people on multiple levels on a regular basis. I donate money to help people that are hungry, but I also believe the federal government has a responsibility to be careful with tax dollars, which is why when we pass SNAP benefits, all benefit adjustments, you need to prove that you need those."
They disagreed on public lands policies. Kennedy said to encourage housing development, some tracts of federal lands should be opened up for building. Larsen declared that "public lands must remain in public hands."
Where the two candidates appeared to find some agreement was on the topic of data center development. Kennedy said it should be a local issue.
"I have communities right now that I know want them. Other communities don't want them, and that's where these decisions should be made," he told the crowd.
Said Larsen: "The voters, the constituents of this district are upset and they're not being listened to. They don't want them, and they want a moratorium on these data centers until we can actually come up with solutions to make them work better for everyone."
The midterm elections could be rough for Republicans nationally, as they seek to maintain control of Congress. In his closing statement, Larsen appealed to Republicans to cross over and vote for him, characterizing himself as a "moderate" Democrat.
"We need to come together on the 90% of issues we all agree on instead of fighting over the 10% we don’t," he told reporters afterward.
Speaking to reporters following the debate, Kennedy said he was dedicated to earning people's vote.
"This is a hard time for a lot of people and people have a right to be angry and concerned about how things are going, but I'm deeply invested in trying to make things better."
Watch the entire debate here: