Race heats up for vacant U.S. Senate seat
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The race for Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate seat is heating up and last night, for the first time, all five Republican candidates faced off on stage.
Hosted by The Texas Public Policy Foundation and Empower Texans, Thursday’s debate allowed the candidates to field questions on topics ranging from immigration to taxes.
In the running for the seat are former solicitor general Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, businessman Glen Addison and former ESPN football analyst Craig James.
Wasting no time, Cruz went right for Dewhurst, attacking his record and decision making.
"Dewhurst as Lieutenant Governor supported in-state tuition for illegal aliens,” he said. “I disagree with him on that. His rhetoric on the campaign trail will be great but you have got to compare the records."
Dewhurst claimed that he is eager to dismantle bureaucracy, pointing to his record of cutting spending.
"I want to go to Washington and cut spending,” he said. “I know how to do it. I have done it repeatedly in Texas cutting billions and billions of dollars."
Leppert boasted experience over rhetoric, saying he will take the skills he learned as the mayor of Dallas to Washington.
"This isn't the way you solve problems,” Leppert said. “It's what we have done in Washington for too long. We put out a plan that has solutions in it. That's what we need."
The newcomer to the world of politics is former football star and ESPN analyst Craig James. Testing his knowledge, moderators asked James a trivia question - who is serving as the Secretary of Defense?
James answered confidently and snapped back.
"Leon Panetta," James said. "But it is a 'gotcha' moment and stop that. That’s what’s wrong with our country. Ask us what we believe in."
Glenn Addison, a businessman with no political experience, wants the end of what he calls useless agencies in government.
"The EPA is the biggest job-killing agency in the face of the earth and it is not in the book (the Constitution.) It is unconstitutional it needs to be abolished," Addison said.
Voters are slated to make their choice on April 3, but the debate over redistricting could push back the primary election.