U.S. Senate candidates Roger Marshall and Barbara Bollier squared off in a debate Thursday night over whose approach was better for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bollier, who lost her train of thought on a couple occasions during the debate, accused Marshall of taking a cavalier approach to the pandemic as the Republican congressman campaigns at times without a mask and plays down the threat of the virus.
She said the government needs to adhere to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the country’s leading experts on the pandemic whom President Donald Trump labeled as a “disaster.”
“Numbers are skyrocketing in this state. It is tragic to watch,” Bollier said of the more than 74,000 positive COVID-19 cases in Kansas.
“We need to follow public health guidelines as directed by Dr. Fauci and our CDC, and we have a U.S. Senate candidate going around the state saying not to worry as our numbers climb up,” Bollier said.
“The bottom line is we can do better, and we need leaders who will lead.”
Marshall conceded that he’s been frustrated with the CDC changing its health guidelines, including one announced Thursday that redefines what counts as a close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters.
“What I believe is that people in Kansas know what’s best for ourselves,” Marshall said.
“We should respect the virus, but we can’t let it control us,” he said.
“We sure can’t let it shut down the economy again,” he said.
“Shutting down the economy has killed more people than the virus ever will, whether it’s through suicides, substance abuse, increased number of people with metastatic cancer because they didn’t get the tests done before.”
Bollier said she was disappointed with the federal response to the pandemic, saying the government needed a coordinated response plan like wearing masks, “unlike my opponent who has run around the state without one on.”
“We need safety and protection,” she said.
Marshall again warned about closing down the economy in response to the virus.
“What we have to be careful of here is the Democrats have promised they would shut down the economy if there is any uptick,” he said.
“I think that’s the question for Barbara: Would you shut down the economy? Would you keep our kids from going to school if we have an uptick in the virus?”
Marshall once again staked out his position that Bollier leans far too left for Kansans, emphasizing her support for abortion rights and comments she made holding up an Australian gun buyback program as an effective way to reduce gun violence.
The gun control comments, now featured in ads running against Bollier, have been used to suggest that the Democrat wants to confiscate firearms.
“To be clear, another misleading attack,” Bollier said. “I have always stood for the Second Amendment and support it vigorously, but we have problems with gun violence in this country. It is a public health crisis.”
Bollier said she supported background checks.
“I would like for all us to have the option to be able to use our weapons as needed and be protected,” she said.
Marshall went right back to the comments Bollier made at an event in Olathe where she referred to the mandatory gun buyback program in Australia as an “amazing thing.”
“Listen, the Second Amendment is what protects the First Amendment,” he said. “This is why I am going to Congress – I’m going to be in the Senate – is to protect our God-given constitutional rights, including the right to bear arms as well.
“My opponent, on the other hand, wants to confiscate your weapons,” he said.
On a couple occasions during the 30-minute debate broadcast by KWCH in Wichita, Bollier blanked in midsentence.
In responding to a question on taxes, Bollier said she saw things she liked in the president’s tax plan but halted in midsentence – “I’m blanking” – before pointing to the increase in the standard deductions.
Early in the debate, she ticked off a number of criticisms of Marshall’s ads as “misleading, deceitful, even….” before her sentence trailed off in a sigh.
“The bottom line is I will be a U.S senator who will listen to you and advocate for you,” she said. “I will be the voice of reason who will represent you in the U.S. Senate.”
Marshall said that’s not what Kansans will get if Bollier wins the U.S. Senate race.
“My opponent wants to take your arms, defund the police and leave Kansans helpless,” Marshall said. “That is extreme by anybody’s book. We cannot allow that to happen.”
Bollier said she had a long record of supporting funding for law enforcement, calling it more misleading and false information from Marshall.
“Every single ad has been misrepresented, misleading,” she said of Marshall’s campaign.
“My opponent has decided to run on being deceptive. His ads have been described as slimy.
“I am running this race on honesty and integrity,” she said. “I won’t even let them put an ugly picture of the man” in an ad.
