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MIAMI — Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida went on the attack Tuesday in her first debate against Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, accusing him of being a serial liar, while Rubio criticized her for supporting President Joe Biden’s economic agenda.
Rubio, a two-term senator, and Demings, a three-term congresswoman and former Orlando police chief, faced questions at the debate in Lake Worth on topics including inflation, abortion, voting rights, gun violence, immigration and foreign policy.
Florida has increasingly shifted rightward in recent election cycles, giving Rubio the advantage as Republicans now lead Democrats with voter registration in the state. But Demings clearly saw the debate as an opportunity to take Rubio on forcefully as she tries to become the state’s first Black senator.
Rubio skirted a question on whether he would support a federal abortion ban with no exceptions and instead called Demings’ position extreme because she would not say what limits on abortion she would support.
“Every bill I have ever sponsored on abortion and every bill I’ve ever voted for has exceptions,” Rubio said.
“What we know is that the senator supports no exceptions,” Demings responded. “He can make his mouth say anything today. He is good at that, by the way. What day is it and what is Marco Rubio saying?”
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/19/1129849444/val-demings-goes-on-attack-against-marco-rubio-in-florida-senate-debate
