Republican Congressman Marc Molinaro and Democratic challenger Josh Riley engaged in a heated debate characterized by accusations of lying about their positions on immigration and abortion. Molinaro accused Riley of consistently lying about his position on a national abortion ban, while Riley claimed that Molinaro was lying about his stance on immigration. The debate took place in the 19th Congressional District, a swing seat that could be crucial in determining which party controls the House of Representatives. The event was marked by a replication of the attack ads that have flooded the district, with Molinaro being targeted on abortion and Riley on immigration.
During the debate, Molinaro and Riley sparred over their positions on immigration and abortion. Molinaro accused Riley of contributing to failures at the southern border with legal briefs he authored while working for immigration officials. He claimed that the policies advocated by Riley, such as the ability to simply claim asylum and enter the country, had consequences at the border. Riley refuted Molinaro’s assertions, calling them a “magic handbag of numbers” and emphasizing that the claims made in the attack ads against him were false. Molinaro also pushed back against Riley’s claim that he would vote to ban abortion at a national level, stressing that the decision should be left to a woman and her physician.
The debate also touched on the candidates’ relationships with top political figures, with both candidates avoiding direct mention of their respective party’s leaders. Riley criticized the Biden administration for its handling of border security, while Molinaro questioned his support for former President Donald Trump by pointing to Biden’s failures as justification for his current stance. Both candidates expressed their support for Israel, calling for the eradication of Hamas and the safe return of hostages taken during an attack in October 2023. They attended memorial services on the anniversary of the attack and emphasized the need to confront antisemitism and stand with Israel in the face of violence and intolerance.
Molinaro alleged that Riley had sued 32 times to reduce border security while working on legal briefs at a politically connected law firm. He accused Riley of contributing to failures at the southern border with policies that made it easier to enter the country. Riley dismissed these accusations as unfounded and sent a cease and desist letter to TV stations running ads that repeated these claims. He also challenged Molinaro to sign onto legislation that would protect abortion rights at a federal level, questioning the sincerity of Molinaro’s claim that he opposes a national abortion ban.
The candidates found common ground in expressing their support for Israel and the need to end the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Both called for the release of hostages taken by the terror group and emphasized the importance of confronting antisemitism. Molinaro highlighted the necessity of standing with Israel and rejecting violent and intolerant actions against Jewish Americans. The debate highlighted the sharp divide between the candidates on key issues such as immigration and abortion, as well as their shared commitment to supporting Israel and combatting antisemitism.
