Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Kelly criticizes Biden, Masters backtracks in Senate debate

Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, left, Republican challenger Blake Masters, right, and Libertarian Marc Victor, back, pause on the stage prior to a televised debate in Phoenix, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.
Ross Franklin
/
AP Photo
Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, left, Republican challenger Blake Masters, right, and Libertarian Marc Victor, back, pause on the stage prior to a televised debate in Phoenix, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly distanced himself from President Joe Biden during his first and only debate against Republican Blake Masters on Thursday.

Kelly called the U.S.-Mexico border “a mess” and says his party doesn’t understand border issues.

Masters, meanwhile, tried to back away from some of the hard-line positions he took during the bruising GOP primary.

He said there should be some limits on abortion but not a national ban, conceded after a few prompts that Biden was the legitimately elected president and acknowledged that he hadn’t seen evidence the 2020 vote count was rigged.

The debate was a chance for Masters to reset the campaign, with polls showing he's trailing.