PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on the Arizona Senate debate (all times local):
Rep. Martha McSally is accusing her opponent in the Arizona Senate race of “treason.”
McSally made the allegation in the final moments of the only debate in the race. Her opponent is Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. Last week CNN reported that Sinema in 2003 told a radio talk show host she didn’t care if he joined the Taliban.
The statement was a brief response at the end of a lengthy hypothetical from the libertarian host who was interviewing Sinema when she was an anti-war activist. McSally resurrected it at the debate’s close and demanded an apology from Sinema. McSally is a former combat pilot.
Sinema responded coolly: “Martha has chosen to run a campaign like the one you’re seeing right now.”
6:22 p.m.
Republican Rep. Martha McSally is tying herself to President Trump.
McSally was a former Trump critic who’s now become a strong supporter. She’s running for an open Senate seat against Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.
McSally drew the first question in the debate. It was why she flipped on the president. McSally denied she had changed position and said the president is helping the country.
Sinema said McSally voted for 98 percent of Trump’s agenda. McSally said that sounded pretty good given what a good job Trump has done. She said Sinema’s 60 percent vote with the president “would be a failing grade in any school.”
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9:37 a.m.
Two Arizona congresswomen are facing off in the only debate in the race for the state’s open senate seat.
Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Kyrsten Sinema will confront each other at 6 p.m. Monday.
The race for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Jeff Flake could determine which party controls the Senate next year.
McSally is a former fighter pilot and onetime Trump critic who now supports the president.
Sinema is a onetime Green Party activist turned centrist Democrat trying to convince voters she’s a nonpartisan problem-solver.
Sinema and her allies have pounded McSally for supporting Republicans’ attempts to repeal President Obama’s health care law.
McSally and her supporters have slammed Sinema for anti-war protests in 2002 and 2003 and for previous critical statements about Arizona’s conservative-leaning politics.
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