A crowd of about 500 people filled the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom Tuesday to hear two prospective Florida state senators face off to represent Alachua County.
During the debate, organized by Accent Speakers Bureau and UF External Affairs, candidates Rod Smith, a Democrat, and Keith Perry, a Republican, discussed campus carry, student loan debt and medical marijuana.
Although the two disagreed on most topics, they did not attack each other, which offered a stark contrast from the U.S. presidential debates, said UF External Affairs chairman Jason Richards.
“I’m very happy with how it went,” he said. “It’s important for students to hear about policy.”
Regarding concealed carry of weapons on college campuses, the candidates held drastically different views, with Perry arguing students should be able to bring their legally acquired concealed weapons to campus.
The crowd cheered after Smith disagreed. He argued that allowing guns on campus would make active-shooter situations much more difficult for police to handle, as they may not know who the shooter really is.
During the most contentious discussion of the evening, regarding the environment, Perry accused Smith of sponsoring a bill that taxed environmental cleanup and services, while Perry was investing in restoring the springs. When asked to reply, Smith said that he “couldn’t wait.” He then went on to defend his own record, alleging Perry promoted fracking in Florida.
Both strongly denied the attacks against them.
Despite the disagreements, both opposed Amendment 1, which they said would not expand solar energy in the state, despite claiming to do so.
They also spoke in favor of continued investment in public universities and colleges and expanding scholarship opportunities. Perry went a few steps further than Smith, however, arguing that the Florida Legislature should help students repay their loans by making higher-paying jobs available.
“I assume most of you are going to have jobs when you graduate,” Perry said. “The question is, are you going to get a job in your field that allows you to pay back your debt?”
They also found common ground when asked about legalizing medical marijuana in Florida, an issue that will be voted on during the general election as a part of Amendment 2.
“It is important,” Smith said. “It provides relief to people, and we allow doctors to give much more serious drugs every day.”
Jordan Brown, an 18-year-old UF sustainability and the built environment freshman, said she attended the debate to get a better sense of who she may vote for. At the start of the debate, she had been in favor of Smith, but she said she wound up resonating with Perry’s views more than she first thought she did.
“Both are viable candidates and support bipartisanship,” she said. “Neither of them will destroy Florida.”
