NEWS-JOURNAL DEBATE: GOP candidate Costello decries ‘carpetbaggers’ in race for Congress
A bit of setup is required: With just 27 days left before the primary election, three men are seeking the nomination of the
The race is highly competitive. A July survey by St. Pete Polls showed
So where the candidates live, and what makes them best qualified to serve as the next 6th District Congressman provoked the deepest cuts.
"They call it the
Costello, 68, is an
His opponents took issue with the term "carpetbagger."
Waltz, a 44-year-old combat veteran, former White House national security adviser and former Fox News contributor, has a home he shares with his mother in
"I'm sorry, Fred.
Ward, a 52-year-old venture capital investor who lives outside
"You don't have to live in
All three made references to the competitive race they expect from
Costello, echoing much of the campaign to date, provided more specific answers to questions posed by moderator and News-Journal Editor
For example, when Rice asked whom each of the candidates supports as a replacement for
But Costello didn't hesitate to say he backs
On another question about backing Trump's immigration policies, all three men agreed a southern border wall is necessary, sanctuary cities are bad and chain migration must be ended. But only Costello responded to Rice's question about Trump's now-revised policy of separating children from foreigner parents who bring them to the border seeking asylum.
Costello said he supports separating children from parents, as there are legitimate security reasons to do so, but he says he would limit the separations to no more than three hours. Neither Ward nor Waltz addressed that part of the question directly.
On a question about
Ward argued the gross domestic product growth spurred on by the tax cuts will eliminate a large part of the problem. "It's the surplus that's going to pay down the debt," Ward said, while also advocating for some elimination of overspending.
Waltz said
When Ward suggested there was daylight between the two over the issue, calling
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