We present the four candidates. Nearly 300 people have already cast ballots, but many more will do so in a early absentee voting or at the polls. This is an opportunity to try to get clarity about the candidates and where they stand. We had planned to hold this in person and were set up to do so , however with the senate still in session, senator collins cannot be there in person. When we should that news with the other candidates sara , gideons Campaign Said she would not appear in person if collins did not, so we have moved to a virtual gathering. Our candidates are Susan Collins, the democratic speaker of the house sara gideon, max linn and lisa savage. I will be posing questions to the candidates and each will have one minute to answer and followup discussion will be at my discretion. Each candidate will have an opportunity to ask a question of another candidate and each candidate will have one minute for a closing statement. Senator collins, i will begin with you, Mitch Mcconnell has blocked consideration of extensive pandemic relief bills and rushed confirmation of the Supreme Court nominee. Those are things you have disagreed with. The Washington Post reports that mcconnell counseled the white house not to strike a deal on a relief deal with pelosi because it might interfere with the planned confirmation of judge barrett next week. Why do you still support Mitch Mcconnell and does it make it harder to find Bipartisan Solutions . Sen. Collins first of all, thank you for sponsoring the debate. He make it harder to find Bipartisan Solutions . Collins let me thank you in the chamber for sponsoring this debate tonight i support another covid relief package and indeed we have had two votes this week one of my bills to extend the Paycheck Protection Program which is already saved 250,000 jobs in the state of maine and another 500 billion package i think its unfortunate also my bill and get the 60 votes needed despite the fact that is near unanimous support for that program. It was Mitch Mcconnells brother rightparenthesis before. And then that the election is important and not to agree with any leader. Host how many times supporting President Trump and Mitch Mcconnell but we heard from is that you do the same thing with joe biden is president and checks schumer as majority leader you whatever differently. Good evening thank you for attending and at hosting as this is an upon question. But he became a leader in the state house in my second term because there were directions we needed to with the people of maine and taking action. Hampshire protecting healthcare so now in the senate exactly what people can expect that is representing us here in maine so asking her why would she support and what she continues . This is very cracks of what is happening here. Because of Mitch Mcconnell as a student one as the majority leader with the issues that we care about whether it is healthcare or the judiciary will be a risk. Host i want to ask the independence, which party were dukakis and why. Linn thank you for tonight and looking forward to having a great conversation had its core and i argue in the last comment but she cannot because she was with her party and irrelevant of why caucus with i can truly be independent in washington speaker gideon or collins cannot. And then the money and the Space Command to be sick and tired of politics. With the career politicians with the magnitude of washington and is for Something Different and i to caucus with the party and then to you up to 100 million. Savage thank you for holding the debate and thinking to the chamber of commerce. I was a Green Party Member because the restrictions are so severe so if i win the election and i plan to man will in the green party to enter the senate as the screen senator so i dont have to caucus for either party as a means remember focused on getting medical for all American People that will meet with and work with where standards were republicans that is my top priority with universal healthcare and to show that is your intention. Host we have of you a question where you can test the outcome in court if you and a plurality in the final bank choice results . Savage they can the question. Want to start by saying i fully support ring Choice Voting i did and does so and was forced to continue to protect it as a legislator when there were repeated attempts to repeal. I have faith. Gideon how the voting will go through the weeks and on election day. And the reason that is outstanding i did not plan to contest the results. Linn can repeat the question to 14 will contest the outcome of the election in court and a plurality balloons and final bank choice vote . To three absolutely not support on a National Basis because we face is the same challenges here is an america with the career politicians we have this for the last ten or 20 years and americans are sick and tired of politics as usual. And with change first and with susan second people know to be clear that the choice right now for change not a career politician but Citizens Legislature with 180 million. Host i will support her also. Savage sam for voters to vote and to vote for the values i simply support this system but at the same time i think that it was fair and then to see that contested in the election even though he lost fair and square in the court basically said you dont have a case. There is real malfeasance in the election and with the majority would you fight that election in court is and final ring choice . Collins i will not ring choice is upheld by the courts in maine and those are the rules that we have to play by. I do think it would be a true runoff where everyone had to vote twice but that is not what we have in the state of maine. You advocate eliminate outstanding Student Loan Debt. Should college be freeforall americans are linked to military or other Public Service . Linn absolutely. We have an economic crisis on our hands so the bailouts are detrimental to the middle class people but republicans want bailouts and democrats want to bailouts. There is no conservative party of fiscal responsibility. So now im asking for Student Loan Relief which is direct people bailout for 35 million americans. And with 5000 more than any other state in the country with a bill for Small Businesses. You support debt and free college for americans . Savage i do. Students are coming out of Community College with thousands of dollars in debt and university with hundreds of thousands of dollars. But doctors and engineers. And then to forget of the outstanding so the legislatures row to the law and they should be ashamed of themselves. So in the institution like harvard and with all the way of medical school many countries to us. What you thought of Student Loan Debt . Collins first of all i worked very hard to expand programs which go to the neediest students and i am the chief proponent along with senator from rhode island with the program like upward bound to help firstgeneration succeed in college also supporting Debt Forgiveness for certain positions to go into Public Service for medical professions in the underserved area. And with those Interest Rates are so low now but it doesnt make sense to our very wealthy family that sending a son or daughter to university to go for free that just burdens the taxpayers when they can afford to pay. Host what are your thoughts . Gideon first it should not be a burden to education. So today in america it is. So what i support the needbased grants to help people to education. We see this happen i also support making refining and seeing easier. And miller for public universities to lower the cost of education. Wesley done here in maine to crackdown on for crap for colleges and transparency for lending to students and also how to have tax credits to students who decide to live and work in maine. Host whoever wins the presidency will most likely propose major transportation investment will. Doing trillions and that with covid relief can we afford the infrastructure package . Savage i think we cannot do Public Transportation in a vigorous way. Climate is the biggest risk to all of the security and the future to being able to live on the planet. And then with a system that is long overdue and with the best of the rest of the world and the transport and then Something LikePublic Transportation how we pay for it . Theres plenty of money in this country is the priorities these on. Host what are your priorities . Collins first of all i would point out that shared transportation and appropriations subcommittee in the senate. With the much needed transportation and those on a per capita basis that is getting some very important transportation programs that is not a coincidence. So we need to broaden our thinking we do need a major infrastructure package and to include broadband as well. We have seen too many parts of the state relying on people working from home more but that is why i joined wes the senator from West Virginia and to fill the gaps. Its nice and we agree on something and this is one example where we do. Gideon think about how we stayed to the economic recovery in this country absolutely will taken investment from the federal government. And investment from infrastructure without question that means investing in roads and bridges it also Means Investment in broadband to ensure we have this infrastructure that should only be here. To work and study in maine we go further than that. So with infrastructure to help combat Climate Change also with this look like in the Energy Project with that inability with no desire to tackle the issue. Host what would you like to see happen can we afford it . Linn this is where we are the strongest as we have heard about the biggest threat to our country and our state. And with the career politicians them in the stimulus for eight years so why havent they done anything yet . And the reality is susan will have no say in washington. With the face of the republican and Democratic Party thats part of my platform. And infrastructure money needs to go to the state of performance you need someone from the outside have influence and the power. They cant do it because they are tied to the rigged a broken system the election of susan or sarah they will go with nancy pelosi or chuck schumer. They will go to the committees and have no say. I will. Host your tell people you next line to be chairman of the Senate Appropriation committee. How does that benefit maine did we get more many as a state or is about bringing home the bacon . Collins maine is not about the state. And that shows why its so important and then to be the next chair and with the Senate Appropriations committee with the most powerful position in the United States senate. And what they have been able to do through the transportation field but that is on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee. And to secure funding for two new destroyers that the nav desperately needed on in the infrastructure improvements. Host speaker gideon it seems like a case of seniority matters. Gideon senator collins does like to talk about 24 years in washington and of course and virtually tonight because she is in washington. But if senator collins does become the appropriations chair it means that Mitch Mcconnell is still majority leader. Lets look back when we last had the democratic president. Lets make it our mission it is at one time president not make it our mission to progress on issues that matter to people. Think of the lack of progress on mowing the path to prescription drugs and with more covid relief. Susan collins is not able even though she talks about the 24 years of experience it doesnt seem to have an impact within her caucus. So how does that help people . Collins i think i deserve a rebuttal on that one. Im in washington. Thats because we are in session. We are working. That is a stark contrast to what sarah did at the state level when she left in midmarch and had instead absolutely nothing since then to respond to the covid crisis that we have. In the meantime we have passed 3 trillion with two. 5 billion has come to the state of maine. Gideon i have said this before i will say it again senator collins continues to want to deflect. It has been six months since the Senate Passed any covid relief. With individuals were thinking about towns and cities or the state and those that are on the verge of being taxed that is a dangerous proposition. Im part of the work weve done here in maine and the Second Lowest in the nation and the economy is recovering but make no mistake we need help from the federal government. Host back to the original question the senate runs on seniority is that important . Linn it is but the reality is there are dozen races throughout america were republicans or democrats have been in trouble to bring in the new person in charge of the appropriations. Susan collins will not be in charge of the appropriations committee. As means next us senator can bring more money than she could ever bring sarah and susan working together versus me i can bring much more because with my candidate their spending 180 million because the balance of influence rest with me if the public is the democrats take all then maine will lose all influence whether republican or democrat agreement on administration of both them is a wasted vote that powerful the institutional vote is with me as your next us senator. Savage i would like to challenge that makes a great deal of difference if we are republican or democratic leadership in the key committees. Both parties take big money for corporate interest you can go to open secrets. Org the very same corporations both parties money. Yes we have a lot of bills for the corporations people got 1200 but we are still waiting for relief for communities and with their mortgages and with the two Corporate Party candidates with big money in washington and if you go to my website lisa for maine. Org you can see where i stand on the issue and i dont take money and im writing one rather fighting legislation to benefit them they should thank me first. Host tens of millions of dollars have been spent by your campaign and senator collins and your backers to tear each other down. The weather will be tainted when they go to work is this dangerous to our democracy . How would you change the system . Gideon thank you for that question perk i want to start with something that i think we all agree with those too much money and politics. One of the first things i did on the campaign to introduce ideas for reform to make sure the corporations dont have a voice people do. And what their goals are and to understand whether that money is coming from and that the members of congress and have the impact on the system i also want to point out in this campaign i made the choice to accept no Corporate Tax money. That is important because people need to know who were standing for. Host have talked about this kind of money coming into maine but how do you fix it . Linn you have to vote. Maine has an opportunity to send a strong message to washington that they are tired of this that the speaker just said raising upwards of 200 million for workforce adds to attack each other and with hundreds of thousands of flyers thinks of what that could have done for mainers. And the senator is pretty broken system. I care about mainers. They are losing their homes. They are losing the medical care deciding between electric and food bill. This is a critical time to send a message to washington to say we are tired of the same all interested independent candidate and shake up the industry. Host so how do you deal with this money that is deeply frustrating to voters. Savage i practice what i preach and i dont accept corporate lobbyist money or super pac money. I just retired teaching as a schoolteacher 25 years as Central Business owner before that my husband is selfemployed. Im the only non millionaire in this race. I dont think millionaires can understand the people were struggling with and what their needs are. They cant. They are in a bubble of affluence and wealth so to take tens of millions of dollars from outside of maine running negative advertising is bad for children to see now to think it is political debate. To talk about the ideas and to take tens of millions of dollars that advertising of all types is not been in the best interest of democracy in my opinion. Host weve all seen fears partisanship but never a campaign quite like this. How do you fix it . I would point out with the 16 independent fact check with the those that have been deemed false were mostly false. This is the First Campaign ive ever been involved in where my opponent has attacked my integrity and it is totally unacceptable and with the dark many groups and with the fund spreading into the state of maine. That they have firm portland maine. So that the answer that sarah has proposed for the first amendment. That has not been amended for change in any way been 1791. But we have disclosure of all donors. Host this is a question from a viewer asking for a yes or no response. We begin so d