JENKINS TWP. - In their second debate before Tuesday's election, congressional candidates Matt Cartwright and Laureen Cummings clashed Wednesday night over the role of government in reviving the economy and their abilities to break the gridlock in Washington.
The hourlong back-and-forth was televised live on WVIA-TV and sponsored by The Times Tribune and The Citizens' Voice.
Mr. Cartwright, a Democrat and attorney, championed himself as a lifelong crusader for the middle class whose courtroom experience positions him best to deal with the toxic, partisan political climate.
Ms. Cummings, a Republican and owner of a home-health nursing company, touted herself as an ambitious small business owner who will use a populist message to fight bureaucracy in a government she says overtaxes, overspends and under-delivers for all citizens.
One of them will be the new representative in the reconfigured 17th Congressional District, after Mr. Cartwright toppled longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-St.Clair, in the primary. The new district encompasses all or parts of six counties and includes Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Scranton.
"We need to stimulate the economy with proper investment in our infrastructure - our roads, our bridges, our rail system, our educational system," said Mr. Cartwright, 51, of Moosic. "That creates the first wave of investment and stimulation for the economy.
With the nation $16 trillion in debt, and many Northeast Pennsylvania towns struggling to stay solvent, Ms. Cummings said it's time to stop wasteful spending.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again. Spending first and then taxing doesn't work. It goes on and on to meet the spending. We need to bring in new people that are of a different mind set," said Ms. Cummings, founder of a local tea party movement.
Contact the writer: bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, @cvbobkal on Twitter