Republican Mike Pence engaged Democratic opponent John Gregg’s attacks more than in any previous debate during Thursday’s third and final meeting of the three gubernatorial hopefuls.
Pence has largely avoided going after Gregg, only engaging with him on a few points in the first two debates. But Thursday, Pence wasn’t shy about matching Gregg’s attacks with his own. The two sparred most over the federal government’s auto industry loans. Gregg struck first.
“You know, my career politician opponent drives all around Indiana now in a red Silverado. He does it because he wants you to forget how he voted on the auto loans. He voted against them and against the 120 thousand Hoosiers who work in the car industry.”
Pence says he believed in a plan that didn’t dig the federal government deeper into debt.
“But John, we could have saved those companies without putting taxpayers on the hook. We could have given them a backstop, not a handout and I was ready to fight for that.”
In the middle of the back and forth was Libertarian Rupert Boneham, who throughout the debate reminded voters that he represents a change from the status quo and that a vote for him is not a wasted one.
“Remember: a vote for me is not a wasted vote. A vote for me is a vote for all of us.”