WAUSAU (WKOW) -- With a virtual tie in the polls, U.S. Senate candidates Tommy Thompson and Tammy Baldwin met for their second debate Thursday night.
The Wisconsin Public Television debate allowed Baldwin and Thompson to speak to each other directly, and the candidates talked over each other at several points.
Moderators asked questions about jobs, tax policy and health care. "We need to strengthen and extend the solvency of Medicare, not voucherize it or do away with it as Tommy Thompson said himself," Baldwin said.
Thompson fired back that his plan for Medicare is not the same as Paul Ryan's. "My program would allow you to have an opportunity to choose Medicare if you want to, or the federal employee health benefit program," Thompson said.
Turning to foreign policy, both candidates said they'd keep Iran from becoming a threat. Their own accusations followed. Thompson accused Baldwin of taking $60,000 in campaign donations from an organization that supports Iran. Baldwin said she was not familiar with that claim.
She fired back that a report shows Thompson has thousands of dollars invested in companies that do business in Iran. Thompson said he had been unaware that his stock broker had purchased shares in those companies' stock and that he sold it all Thursday, when he found out.
Thompson and Baldwin will face off for their third and final debate on October 26.
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WAUSAU (WKOW) -- The candidates for U.S. Senate meet for their second debate Thursday night.
Republican Tommy Thompson and Democrat Tammy Baldwin are in a close race for that seat. The latest Marquette Law School poll shows Thompson leading Baldwin by one point, 46 percent to 45 percent. The last poll showed Baldwin leading by four points.
Thursday night's debate is in Wausau. It starts at 7:00 p.m. You can watch it on 27 News' live stream here.
The two candidates are scheduled to meet for a third and final debate on Friday, October 26.
Both sides have been spending millions in attack ads, making the race one of the most expensive in the country.
Danielle Lama will breakdown the debate on 27 News at 10.
