SALT LAKE CITY — GOP Gov. Gary Herbert accused his Democratic challenger, Salt Lake Mayor Peter Corroon, of "political posturing" Thursday during their second debate.
Sitting in front of a noisy partisan crowd just outside the Main Street studios of the debate's sponsor, KUTV News, Herbert wagged his finger and shook his head at Corroon.
"There you go again, Peter," the governor said repeatedly throughout the half-hour live broadcast, telling the crowd the mayor is "not interested in the facts. This is all about political posturing."
Corroon kept coming back to the controversy over what influence campaign contributions to the governor have had on state contracts, including the one for the record $1.7 billion reconstruction of I-15 through Utah County.
Asked about the governor's call Wednesday for a state audit of the Utah Department of Transportation, Corroon said what's wrong is what's happening in the governor's office.
"This is not about UDOT," the mayor said. "This is about activities going on in the governor's office. They're using the governor's office for campaign purposes. That's dead wrong. We need to change it. It stinks."
Herbert, who received $87,500 in campaign contributions from members of the winning bid team for the I-15 contract, interrupted Corroon as he was explaining no one knows if the governor influenced that decision.
"We do know," the governor said, calling on Corroon to sort through what he described as pallets of paperwork on the bid assembled by UDOT. "The right bid happened. Whether I got any donation from one of the members of the winning bid is irrelevant."
The mayor countered that it was "completely relevant. I'm not questioning anybody's integrity. I'm questioning your judgment and leadership on this issue."
Later, on the topic of taxes, both candidates interrupted each other to deny they'd raised any taxes.
Herbert said Corroon raised taxes on county residents by implementing a police fee. Corroon said Herbert did the same by allowing a cigarette tax hike to take effect.
At one point, an audience member shouted, "Put the boxing gloves on." Most of the comments from the crowd, however, were limited to cheers.
Some of the loudest cheers came toward the end of the debate, when Corroon was asked about having identified $200 million that can be cut from the state budget. He used the question to draw attention to the $13 million that UDOT quietly paid out to a losing bidder on the I-15 contract.
"In fact, we can take $13 million that was just given to a road contractor for not doing any work," Corroon said. Herbert said that was another of the mayor's "irresponsible statements."
Afterwards, Corroon said he enjoyed the sparring.
"It was fun. A spirited debate," the mayor said. "I think it was a little more enjoyable, having a big audience." He said Herbert has his facts wrong and isn't paying attention to what voters are concerned about.
Herbert said as he left the debate that Corroon "is misstating the facts and taking any fact he's got and trying to get the most negative spin on it to distort the truth."
The pair debated for the first time on KUED a week ago. They have seven more debates scheduled before Election Day on Nov. 2. Herbert and Corroon are vying in the special gubernatorial election for the remaining two years of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s term.
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