Murphy, Vernon question progressive credentials

VINTON - For all the issues where 1st District Democratic candidates Monica Vernon and Pat Murphy found agreement, they continued to clash Friday night over the definition of what makes a progressive.

Murphy, of Dubuque, a 26-year veteran of the Iowa House, disputed Vernon's claim that she is a lifelong progressive, arguing she was writing checks to the Republican Party while he was passing legislation in the Iowa House to raise the minimum wage and make preschool universal.

Vernon, a former Cedar Rapids City Council member, pushed back, pointing to Murphy's past 100 percent rating from the Iowa Right to Life Committee.

Murphy and Vernon's third debate was at the Iowa Braille School auditorium in Vinton. The two face each other in the June 7 Democratic primary, with the winner challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Rod Blum of Dubuque in the November general election.

'My opponent needs to own his record that, when it mattered the most for women in Iowa, he was not there for them,” Vernon said in her opening statement.

Murphy, however, defended his record, noting that while he was House speaker, he did not allow any legislation to move forward that would have rolled back women's access to abortion.

While both Murphy and Vernon said they were opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, Murphy questioned Vernon's actual stance.

He pointed to a questionnaire from the New Democratic Coalition Political Action Committee, which endorsed her, that asked about the TPP. Vernon said she is a 'straight-shooter” and explained her opposition to the trade agreement.

'Then, release the questionnaire so we can see it in writing,” Murphy said.

Vernon stressed that the PAC, which bills itself as a 'moderate, pro-growth” group of legislators, endorsed her over Murphy because of her willingness to 'work with people to solve problems.”

She highlighted her list of endorsements by saying, 'Why is it, Pat, that the people who know you the best trust you the least?”

Despite the early clashes, the two candidates found plenty to agree on. They both support the Affordable Care Act and would like to see it expanded to include more people. They both want to see veterans get the care they deserve and have a foreign policy that includes Congress in military decisions.

While they both want to see a lower incarceration rate for people of color, Vernon criticized Murphy for focusing solely on drug conviction disparities. She focused on community policing and understanding the underlying issues driving racial clashes.

Murphy pushed back, saying during his tenure as House speaker, Iowa saw a dramatic increase in African-American lawmakers and grew in diversity in other ways.

'You're talking to the guy that elected more African-Americans to the Iowa Legislature than any other time in the state's history,” Murphy said.

Murphy and Vernon will meet for a fourth debate at 7 p.m. May 13 at the Tama Ballroom.