527: U.S. Senate debate between Sen. Kevin Cramer and challenger Katrina Christiansen

Plain Talk

When we organize candidate debates on the Plain Talk podcast, our intent is to foster a competition that's not bogged down by a lot of rules and restrictive formatting, nor plagued by shouting and candidates talking over one another.

We don't really even want a competition. We want a conversation. A thoughtful discussion between two candidates on important issues of interest to the voters.

I think we achieved that with the debate my co-host Chad Oban and I hosted between incumbent U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger Katrina Christiansen.

Our conversation covered everything from partisanship, to social security, the national debt, the state of the farm bill and Congress's inability to pass an updated iteration of it, the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and the role of government in our lives.

The candidates found places where they agree. Both say they're committed to America's continued backing of Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression. Both support Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism. Both described border security as a crisis for our country.

In other areas, however, there was sharp disagreement. Christiansen hit Cramer for voting against a bipartisan border bill negotiated in part by Sen. James Lankford, one of the most conservative members of the Senate and, Cramer revealed, a roommate of the incumbent. Cramer, for his part, pointed out that while Christiansen may be more moderate than some of her national Demcoratic counterparts, her presence in the Senate is a vote toward liberal Democrats leading the chamber.

Overall, it was precisely the conversation we were hoping to get. Specifically, a back and forth between two engaged, well-informed candidates.

We will have more debates upcoming on Plain Talk.

On August 30, the U.S. House candidates, Republican Julie Fedorchak and Democrat Trygve Hammer, will face off.

On September 6 we'll host the gubernatorial candidates, Republican Kelly Armstrong and Democrat Merrill Piepkorn.

On September 13, supporters and opponents of the Measure 4, the property tax proposal, will make their cases.

We also have a preliminary agreement between the candidates for Superintendent of Public Schools, incumbent Kirsten Baesler and former state Sen. Jason Heitkamp. I'll have more on that once it's confirmed.

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