U.S. House of Representatives candidates Dr. Mike Kennedy and veteran Glenn Wright participated in the 3rd congressional district debate hosted by BYU Broadcasting on Oct. 17.
The candidates were asked about key issues including energy, immigration, balancing the budget and housing regulation.
When asked about Utah's energy needs, both candidates looked towards the Uinta Basin with similar ideas of clean and environmentally safe energy.
“We also have some major opportunities in this state,” Wright said. “There are new developments in geothermal energy and what we find is that the Uinta Basin also has possibilities for geothermal energy. So, as we transition some of those fuels out of our use patterns, we'll have an opportunity to transfer more geothermal, zero-carbon energy into those patterns.”
While Kennedy did not give any specific energy alternatives, he did agree with Wright and expressed confidence to those at work in the basin.
“We all want clean water,” Kennedy said. “We all want clean air. None of us want our environment ruined and I agree with Glenn. He's entirely right …The people in Utah know how to do that to the benefit of the whole country if we're able to leverage that."
Both candidates shared similar views on the development of AI and agreed they felt it is an important technological advancement for the nation’s future. However, they differed in how much the government should control it.
“I do worry that the federal government gets too involved in these things when they don't even know what they're doing with that," Kennedy said. “So, a light-handed touch, but when regulation is necessary, then we regulate appropriately so that these businesses can move forward.”
Wright differed in saying the government should exercise “serious control” over the future of AI in the United States.
The areas in which Kennedy and Wright clashed the most were budgeting, housing and immigration.
"I live on a budget, you live on a budget and I don't understand why the federal government can't live on a budget," Kennedy said.
Immigration reform to address workforce shortages would feed more tax money into the economy to keep programs such as Social Security sustainable, Wright said.
"The biggest problem that (faces) social security is we don't have enough workers to feed people's tax money into the system," Wright said. "We need to massively increase legal immigration into the country to get people into the working world."
When asked about housing, Kennedy cited ongoing litigation over public lands in Utah and called for local authorities to have more power to build more housing in Utah.
"A big issue in the state of Utah is almost 70 percent of our land is constrained and controlled by the federal government," Kennedy said. "We can't build on 70 percent of our land, but if we were to file ... we could actually resolve some of these issues."
Wright countered that housing issues are primarily state-related and criticized laws favoring landlords.
"Our three-day eviction rule is ridiculous," he said and noted his involvement in affordable housing issues.
Citing his own father’s immigration, Kennedy said there needs to be improvements in legal immigration.
“So, we need to improve legal immigration and at the same point with those legal immigrants, they build our economy, and they make our country better. Welcome to the country, but come here legally,” Kennedy said.
Wright agreed with Kennedy on the need for reform but stated his priority is to create comprehensive immigration reform to aid the countries that migrants are immigrating from.
"If we don't fix the reasons why people try to come here, we will not fix the immigration problem," Wright said. "We have to fix it in the countries that (they) are coming from; help improve their economies and their judicial systems so they can get rid of some of the crime."
When the two candidates shook hands at the end of the debate, Wright cursed at Kennedy. Wright's words were picked up by the stage mics.
In his post-debate media briefing, Kennedy described the interaction as “frankly shocking.”
"We should have civility and thoughtfulness, and the last comment he made was not civil and it was not thoughtful,” Kennedy said.
During Wright’s own media briefing, he clarified that he felt Kennedy's answers did not answer the questions being asked and said he had no issue with the comment made towards Kennedy.
“It showed him what I thought of (him)," Wright said. "I don't think he deserves to be elected to this office. I think he will be a danger to the country.”
To watch the full debate, visit the Utah Debate Commission’s upload on YouTube.