Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and Democratic challenger David Garcia went back and forth in a testy, sometimes tense debate Monday that exposed sharp differences over the state of education in Arizona.
It was the first of two back-to-back, televised debates in the governor's race, the only public forums Ducey would agree to. Both are sponsored by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
Garcia, an education professor at Arizona State University who ran unsuccessfully for state school superintendent four years ago, immediately questioned Ducey's record on education.
Garcia: "After four years our education system remains in crisis. At the end of Doug Ducey's administration, 75,000 teachers walked out because we are still one of the last in the country on education. They were demanding more and they did not get what they were demanding."
Ducey checked off his accomplishments on education funding, including the passage of Prop 123 and plan for a 20 percent raise for teachers by 2020.
Ducey: "That's what we've been able to accomplish and people are saying it's not enough, and I agree with them. There's more left to do."
The governor later tried to pin down Garcia on his plan for funding education.
Ducey: "David isn't talking at all about his plan. How is he going to fund the programs that he wants to move forward? He wanted to double income taxes for people in the state of Arizona. It's no longer on the ballot. He still is talking through all the things he wants to do, but he has no funding plan."
Garcia talked about working with teachers, parents and legislators to come up with a plan that would be put to a statewide vote, but he wouldn't be specific.
After the debate, reporters prodded Garcia for details on how he would come up with more money for education.
Brahm Resnik: "You're either going to raise taxes or cut spending. What's it going to be?"
Garcia: "In this particular case, you can do a little of both."
Ducey also leveled a bizarre charge he couldn't back up.
Ducey: "David Garcia tried to rig an election and the Supreme Court caught him."
Garcia: "The Supreme Court caught me rigging an election? There is no evidence at all."
The so-called rigging, the governor suggested, involved the Invest in Ed initiative that the Arizona Supreme Court threw off the ballot last month.
During a scrum with reporters after the debate, Ducey failed to clarify what he meant.
The third candidate at the debate was the Green Party's Angel Torres, a labor activist. He advocated for greater union representation.
The next and final gubernatorial debate is Tuesday in Tucson.