Slotkin, Junge debate health care and party politics ahead of congressional race

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, on Sunday debated her Republican opponent in the November election, Paul Junge, defending her vote to impeach President Donald Trump and saying Junge isn’t being specific enough about how he would handle questions surrounding health care access.

The two debated in a half-hour segment on WDIV-TV’s “Flashpoint" (Channel 4). Two years ago, Slotkin, a former national intelligence officer and acting assistant secretary in the Defense Department, won election in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, which is comprised of northern Oakland County and Ingham and Livingston counties and had been held previously by Republicans.

In the debate, Junge, who formerly worked for the Trump administration and as a TV anchor in Lansing, said Slotkin hadn’t shown the independence from her party that she promised, voting with them most of the time. “She does vote 96% of the time with (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi,” he said.

Slotkin hit back noting correctly that she has been judge one of the most bipartisan members of the U.S. House during her first term in office despite that voting record, a claim which the Free Press has found to be correct based on the votes she has taken and the bills she has had a hand in introducing.

Asked about her vote to impeach Trump after he suggested Ukraine should investigate a political rival, Joe Biden, who went on to become the Democratic nominee, Slotkin said she didn’t regret it even if it hurts her politically. “I don’t have second thoughts. I certainly knew it was going to be controversial,” she said.

“There has to be something more important than just voting to keep yourself in office,” she said. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump after the Democratic majority in the House voted to impeach him.

More: Slotkin's GOP challenger says she's misleading voters on her record. We fact-checked it.