U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester faced off in a debate against Republican challenger Lee Murphy at the University of Delaware on Thursday night.
The debate, which was jointly hosted by Delaware Public Media, marked the third time Blunt Rochester and Murphy have vied for Delaware’s sole House of Representative seat, with Blunt Rochester winning the election each time.
The debate was relatively tame, with few barbs exchanged. Ralph Begleiter, founding director of UD’s Center for Political Communication, moderated the debate. He covered issues of the economy, abortion rights, democracy and gun safety.
In the upcoming midterm election on Nov. 8, the U.S. House seat is the highest profile race, with three other statewide races being held. Blunt Rochester, who became the first person of color and woman to represent Delaware in Congress, is seen as the heavy favorite against Murphy.
Here are three takeaways from the debate:
1. The economy, the economy, the economy
Inflation, and it reaching record highs this summer, is one of the most pressing issues facing Delawareans.
When asked about this issue, Blunt Rochester touted the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, which she said was meant to “touch people’s kitchen table issues.”
She noted two of the major achievements of this legislation: Lowering drug prescriptions through Medicare and capping the price of insulin to $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries.
Murphy was asked to name three things Congress should do to reduce inflation. The GOP candidate blamed Congress for its spending. He was vague in his answer but said there should be a lowering of taxes, helping small businesses and backing off of regulation.
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“It doesn’t take a lot to get inflation under control,” he said. “The government just has to use a little discipline in how they spend their money.”
The candidates were also asked about their support of the United States continuing to pressure Russia to end its unprovoked war with Ukraine, even if that meant an increase in gas prices and other costs.
Murphy spoke about how the country needs to have energy independence, and he blamed President Joe Biden for not doing so.
“Let’s be clear,” Blunt Rochester said in response. “This war was because Putin, unprovoked, was the aggressor to … the Ukrainian people. I mean, let’s be clear about that. This was not a Joe Biden war.”
2. The future of abortion rights
With the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, the candidates were asked if they supported Congress passing legislation that codifies access to abortion throughout the country. Here in Delaware, abortion is codified into state law.
Blunt Rochester said there “is room in the women’s womb for politicians.”
“It feels like people are trying to rollback the freedoms that we’ve had, the autonomy that we’ve had,” she said. “And I think that’s a big difference between us. I’m proud of what Delaware has been able to do.
“What Republicans in Congress are proposing,” she added, “would actually nullify the will of the people here in Delaware. And we don’t need to go backwards.”
Murphy said he supported the Supreme Court’s recent ruling and he believes that abortions should be determined by the states. Breaking from his party, Murphy said he believes a woman has a right to choose. He added that he is “pro-life.”
When Blunt Rochester pressed Murphy on if he would support Republicans’ attempt for a national abortion ban, he said he believed it was a state’s issue.
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The moderator then turned to the idea of “settled law” in regards to the Supreme Court. Murphy said he has “complete faith in the Supreme Court.”
Blunt Rochester, however, described overturning a right that has been law of the land for 50 years as a “slippery slope.” She also expressed deep concern over Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion that questioned the constitutionality of gay marriage and access to contraception.
“My ability to even be on this stage as a Black woman who ran for Congress, who even had the right to vote – these things, we don’t want to go backwards. We want to go forward.”
3. Characterizing the events of Jan. 6
The debate had a specific focus on democracy and the Jan. 6 insurrection. Throughout the country, a majority of Republican candidates running for office are denying the 2020 election results.
Murphy was asked bluntly if he thought the 2020 election was rigged. Murphy didn’t directly answer the question, and then said he didn’t want to weigh in on the issue. He said there were issues of “transparency” and “integrity,” but he didn’t elaborate or provide any evidence.
On the Jan. 6 insurrection, Murphy said: “The vast majority of people that day demonstrated and voiced their opinion. However, there were people that day who broke the law that day and should be held accountable for their misdeeds on that particular day.”
Blunt Rochester, who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, described it as her hardest and her “greatest day in Congress.”
“If somebody came into your house … they stole things, they defecated. Then they wanted to kill you. I would not call that a walk in the park or a trip or whatever it was being characterized as that day,” she said.
“We came back that morning,” the congresswoman added. “And we made sure that we certified that election. That showed both the fragility of this moment but also our resilience as a country.”
