Pre-existing conditions, finance questions spark debate between McCaskill, Hawley

MARYLAND HEIGHTS — Sen. Claire McCaskill and Attorney General Josh Hawley spent the better part of an hour Friday afternoon criticizing each other and fighting to prove they were the strongest candidate.

Covering patients with pre-existing health conditions and the use of dark money in politics were among the main talking points at Friday's forum, which was hosted by the Missouri Press Association. The event was not billed as a debate, though both major-party candidates characterized it that way.

Hawley, a Republican, characterized McCaskill as "just another Washington liberal," using the phrase in response to almost every question. McCaskill, a Democrat, framed Hawley as unwilling or unable to break ranks with the GOP in order to pursue bipartisan solutions and insisted that she has maintained her political independence.

With a little less than two months before the Nov. 6 election, the two front-running candidates in Missouri's U.S. Senate race finally shared a stage together at the Missouri Press Association's 2018 convention. Joining them were Craig O'Dear (independent) and Jo Crain (Green). Libertarian Japheth Campbell of Springfield did not attend.

Read more: https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/09/15/claire-mccaskill-josh-hawley-spar-missouri-press-association-debate/1301678002/