ROCHESTER, Mich. — Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Tudor Dixon dueled over the issue of abortion, again fielding questions on the critical issue, at the start of their second and final debate in Oakland County.
Whitmer attacked Dixon for her beliefs regarding abortion, referring to Dixon's comments surrounding her stance on exemptions for abortion. Dixon has said she does not support exemptions for rape or incest, but only to save the life of the mother.
Whitmer touted her lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court that's led to one of two court decisions stopping enforcement of Michigan's 1931 abortion ban after the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision.
“The only reason it’s not in effect right now is because of my lawsuit," Whitmer said.
Dixon defended her position and accused Whitmer of supporting late-term abortions, citing her past legislative votes on the issue of partial-birth abortion laws.
Dixon said she would accept the results if voters on Nov. 8 pass Proposal 3, a ballot proposal that would enshrine the right to reproductive freedom, including abortion, in the state constitution.
"If this is what the people want, then I will enforce that," Dixon said.
Dixon and Whitmer argued over how the governor's office has addressed nationwide inflation.
Whitmer said she'd helped to pass legislation that would lower the cost of daycare and helped fund a tuition-free skills training program. She also noted several tax proposals she'd put forward, including eliminating the pension tax and increased earned income credit.
“A governor cannot fix global inflation, but what I can do is put more money in your pockets," Whitmer said.
Dixon noted Whitmer had vetoed several tax proposals from the GOP-led Legislature, including a pause on the state gas tax. Whitmer responded they were "gimmicks."
Dixon also noted it was Whitmer who proposed raising the gas tax by 45 cents at the start of her first term.
“It was one of the first things she tried to do when she was in office," Dixon said.
Dixon and Whitmer fielded several questions over pandemic-era school closures, parental involvement in education and school safety.
Whitmer at one point maintained schools were closed for no more than three months. Schools were closed via state order for about three months during the spring of 2020 but additional state-ordered closures occurred that fall, including orders tailored to high schools. Local decisions also led to further school closures in the spring of 2021.
“The reason kids were out of school during the pandemic was because we were working off of knowledge from 1918, when kids died from the last global pandemic," Whitmer said. "As a mom, all I was thinking about was saving the lives of our kids.”
Dixon refuted Whitmer's comments on the length of the closure and argued Michigan suffered worsening test scores because of the clsoures. Dixon said she would work to reverse those losses and "make sure that they get back on track from the years of online learning that they endured under this governor’s policies.”
Whitmer countered that Dixon would guarantee an agenda pushed by the DeVos family of West Michigan for public schools. The family of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has long sought for allowing taxpayer funds to be used for private school education.
The governor criticized Dixon for not supporting gun control measures, such as secure storage laws, red flag laws and background checks.
“Her plans are downright dangerous," Whitmer said.
Dixon argued other measures such as armed guards and single points of entry could help to address school shootings.
The solution is to make kids safe, Dixon said, not put them in an atmosphere where "the only person that has a weapon is the shooter that is going in to take their lives.”
On the issue of parental involvement in schools, Whitmer said parents are able to participate in their child's education and understand the curriculum they're being taught.
The debate kicked off at 7 p.m. on Oakland University's campus in Rochester two weeks before the Nov. 8 election. It was broadcast live on television stations in the Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Alpena and Marquette television markets.
The second debate likely had a larger TV audience than the first Whitmer-Dixon debate on Oct. 13, which wasn't broadcast on TV in Metro Detroit, said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University.
"I think this one carries a good deal of weight," said Dulio, director of Oakland University's Center for Civic Engagement, which helped put on the event.
Also, the second debate came closer to Election Day and as some polls show Dixon cutting into Whitmer's lead.
Dixon, a political commentator from Norton Shores, has raised less money than Whitmer and has faced millions of dollars in negative TV advertising. Tuesday's debate is "critical" for Dixon, Dulio said.
The larger potential audience and proximity to Election Day made Tuesday night's debate more significant than the first debate hosted by WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, said Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan.
"The stakes are higher," Kall said before the debate.
Whitmer, a former state lawmaker from East Lansing, is seeking her second term as Michigan's governor in the upcoming election while Dixon is hoping to unseat her.
During the first debate, the candidates disagreed over abortion policy, gun restrictions and how the COVID-19 pandemic should have been handled. Observers gave Dixon, a first-time candidate, good reviews for her performance, saying she held her own against the more experienced Whitmer.
The moderators for Tuesday's debate were Chuck Stokes of WXYZ, Doug Reardon of WXMI and Elle Meyers of WSYM.
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