STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Republican Governor Mary Fallin and Democratic challenger Joe Dorman sparred over education and health care as the two faced off in the first and only public debate in the race to become Oklahoma governor.
The two candidates participated in an hour-long debate Thursday on the Oklahoma State University campus, fielding questions from both students and journalists.
Fallin boasted of the state's growing economy since she was elected governor in 2010, including a drop in the state's unemployment rate and increased state revenues.
But Dorman said much of Oklahoma's economic growth is attributable not to Fallin's policies, but to the booming energy industry.
A state representative, Dorman is seeking to hand Fallin her first loss in a political career that includes three terms as lieutenant governor and two terms in the U.S. House.