Dartmouth graduates Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand '88, D-N.Y., and Republican challenger Wendy Long '82, faced off on Wednesday night in their only debate prior to the election for New York's junior Senate seat, addressing national debt and women's rights at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Polls indicate that Gillibrand leads Long by 40 percentage points, and the former is projected to win the election on Nov. 6.
During the debate, Long, an attorney in New York City, criticized Democrats for wasting the stimulus package and attributed government overspending to the Democratic Party.
"We don't have debt because the U.S. people are under-taxed," she said. "We do because the federal government spends too much."
Gillibrand said that Long would "slash" programs vital to the country's economy and national security were she elected.
"The quickest way to pay the debt is to grow the economy," she said. "We can tighten our belts and cut spending, but we need to do it precisely and carefully."
Long agreed that a growing economy is necessary to solve the country's fiscal problems, and she reaffirmed her pledge not to raise taxes and to amend the "ill-conceived" tax code.
"The government does not create jobs," Long said. "There's no free lunch."
Gillibrand, a native of upstate New York, said that funding for research and development would unleash engineers' entrepreneurial spirit and thereby bolster the local economy. She emphasized the need for "Made in America" businesses and products.
The candidates tackled women's rights in the context of Roe v. Wade, described by Long as a "horrible decision."
Long, who describes herself as pro-life, said that overturning the 1973 decision would allow states to determine their own policies, and she believes that women's rights should not come at the expense of other humans. She argued that employers should be able to decide whether or not to provide contraception coverage to their employees.
"For the first time in [United States] history, we have set up a system where you have to obey a government dictate or violate your faith," she said.
Gillibrand and Long also debated Second Amendment rights, with both contestants standing by their parties' platforms. Gillibrand underscored the need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but Long argued that gun ownership is an individual right.
"The root cause of crime is criminals," Long said. "You don't solve this problem by hindering guns."
Government professor Joseph Bafumi said he believes that this election will be exciting only because two Dartmouth alumnae are vying for an important seat. However, he doubts the debate will make a difference in the election's outcome.
"Unless Sen. Gillibrand makes some big mistakes between now and the election and doesn't correct them, my guess is that she is very safe for the seat," Bafumi said.
Women's increasingly common entrance into political races will encourage more women to run for government seats, government professor Deborah Brooks said.
"I think it's wonderful that two women, two Dartmouth women, are aiming for this seat and participating in politics," Brooks said.
Colin Harris '13, political director of the College Democrats, said that Gillibrand's performance in the 2010 election shows that she will likely win this year's election.
"Even against a strong Republican challenger in a banner Republican year, she carried all but eight counties," he said.
Harris said he also believes Long has not distinguished herself thus far in the campaign and that Gillibrand's centrist, common sense attitude toward policy will "shine on its own" and highlight Long's extremist policies.
"Gillibrand has shown time and time again that she's a good campaigner and debater," Harris said. "I think she'll be able to draw clear contrasts between her view of America and Wendy Long's."
Harris said, however, that he appreciates the participation and success of Dartmouth alumni in the political sphere.
"I always like to see Dartmouth alums win," Harris said. "Granted I'm the political director of the College Democrats, so I'd prefer a Democrat, but it's always nice to see Dartmouth alums excel in politics."
Gillibrand, formerly a member of the House of Representatives, was tapped for New York's junior Senate seat in January 2009 when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped down to assume her current position.
While at Dartmouth, Gillibrand and Long were both active on campus. Gillibrand was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Phi Beta Kappa honor society, graduating magna cum laude. She was also the captain of the women's squash team during her senior year.
After working for The Dartmouth, Long became one of the original staff members of The Dartmouth Review, along with conservative pundits Dinesh D'Souza '83 and Laura Ingraham '85. Although Long graduated in 1982, she remained a member of The Review's board of trustees for a number of years.
Representatives from the College Republicans did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
