Minnesota Gov. Walz, Jensen come out swinging in last debate

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Republican challenger Scott Jensen came out swinging Friday in their final debate of the campaign as they gave voters a last chance to make head-to-head comparisons on how the candidates would lead Minnesota.

"Scott's vision is a dark and fearful vision of Minnesota. It's one where women are criminalized for making their health care decisions. It's one where we defund our public schools to give tax cuts to the wealthiest,” Walz said in his opening statement.

“I became a family doctor because I wanted to help people. I'm running for governor because Tim Walz hurt people,” Jensen countered. “His slogan was ‘One Minnesota.’ That's a sham. Tim Walz failed. Minnesota is broken. We're fractured. We're (more) deeply divided than I can remember in my lifetime.”

Here are some key takeaways from the debate, which aired on Minnesota Public Radio just 11 days ahead of an election in which control of the governor’s office and the Minnesota Legislature are at stake.:

TAXES AND SPENDING

Jensen defended his hope to explore whether Minnesota can eliminate its personal income tax, although he has yet to say how he would make up for huge loss in revenue. He has already backed away from extending the sales tax to food and clothing though he continued to float the idea of a 10% cut in state spending.

Jensen said the state needs to use its budget surplus to foster a discussion of “Can we actually get to a point where we could go without a personal income tax? If we don't use the surplus now to help lead that conversation, we'll never know.”

But Walz accused Jensen of “cutting the income tax so that millionaires and billionaires — Scott's friends — are able to see a tax cut so they can send their children to private schools,” while starving...