GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – While the first gubernatorial debate provided numerous takeaways for audiences regarding the candidates’ differing policy points, the post debate media Question & Answer offered further insights into candidate’s opinions. 

An early question of the debate was focused on abortion, and the prospective plans the candidates would take should Prop 3 pass or fail. Abortion in particular, has been an issue that has followed Dixon throughout the campaign season, and off stage after the debate.  

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“You said people who are concerned about abortion can vote for you and vote for the proposal [3], why not encourage people to vote no?” a reporter asked Dixon. 

“I am not encouraging people to vote for that, what I’m saying is that they are two separate issues,” Dixon replied, “That the proposal is on the ballot, abortion is there – the most radical form of abortion – if people want to choose that. Or they also know a judge has already decided, the problem here in the state of Michigan is that the governor is trying to run on abortion because her record is so bad.” 

Dixon later elaborated about her thoughts. “What I would like to see is that we still have those protections that ensure you have to be a doctor to perform an abortion and that you have to have parental conscent if you are a minor- seeking an abortion, that we would not make this state dangerous for women, we would make it safe.” 

In her introduction, Dixon mentioned that the televised debate may be the first time audiences had heard from her directly, and the media wondered if the debate had helped her viewers get to know her better. 

“Do you feel like you moved the needle here with voters at all with this debate?” CNN reporter Omar Jimenez asked. 

“I feel like we had a strong debate,” Dixon said, “I think we have been able to point out a lot of the things that the governor has not been honest about.” 

Governor Whitmer expressed to a group after the debate that she is an optimist and would be willing to work with anyone who wants to solve problems. “I think that we covered a lot of different issues, and I hope that voters saw the stark difference at hand here,” Whitmer said, “I hope that people also understood that in a bipartisan environment – a tough environment – we’ve made some record accomplishments here in Michigan and we gotta keep the forward action.” 

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Some had said Dixon worked with a former governor to be adequately prepared for her first debate.  Another reporter asked, “Can you talk about your prep, I know there were some rumors that former Gov. John Engler was prepping with you, can you talk about how that has helped with the debate tonight?” 

“You know, we’ve prepped for days just getting prepared.  Obviously, I haven’t  been in a gubernatorial debate before, so having someone that’s gone through it is helpful” Dixon said. 

Among the more heated topics, legislation regarding guns came up during the debate, and Whitmer expressed her support for safe storage laws, background checks, and red flag laws while criticizing Dixons views. 

 “Can you speak more about your thoughts on gun legislation, how you would support certain concealed carry laws or stuff like that?” Michigan News Source reporter Austin Gergens asked Dixon. 

“I’ve said in the past that I would be open for constitutional carry, that I would sign constitutional carry laws,” Dixon answered. 

One of Dixon’s central platform elements was her background in business – particularly in the steel industry. 

“The governor kind of attacked your business background and your time at the steel foundry, and you didn’t really make a direct response to that, would you like to make one now?” a reporter inquired. 

“Yeah it’s so unfortunate that she would go after my father, we just lost him in June, this was a time that everyone was losing their businesses because it was during the recession. In fact Michigan lost 500,000 jobs, and it was really hard to watch my dad who had built that business and bought it out of bankruptcy, who had put his own money in to make sure people had jobs.” 

Dixon had received questions at other rallies regarding her comments about questioning elections, one reporter took the opportunity to ask her again her views. 

 One reporter asked “At one point Governor Whitmer said you don’t respect the will of the voters, that you rejected the results of the 2020 election, you didn’t respond to that during the debate.  What would you say in response to that?” 

“I would say that I should ask her why she’s even running with Garlin Gilcrest? Because he said the Detroit elections were a complete catastrophe and required a recount in 2017. People question elections, that’s our right as U.S. Citizens,” Dixon replied. 

There were at least two reporters who were in college and high school, and asked the candidates some questions about education and beyond.  

“Education is going to be big coming into this election.  What exactly are your plans with education coming forward to your second term if you have a second term?” one reporter from DTV news asked. 

“We’ve had record investments in public education, closed the gap between districts, we’ve put resources into literacy coaches and supplying them to our students,” Whitmer said, “The emphasis is on those great investments and really important.  We need to focus on making Michigan the top state for literacy.”

“That’s the focus in the second term,” she said. 

Alternatively, Dixon was asked what she would say to college age voters going into the election. 

“Yeah we want to make sure that we are providing you the jobs that you need,” Dixon said, “That we are bringing the best businesses here, I know that there are a lot of folks that leave the state of Michigan after they graduate from college so we want to make sure that we’re partnering with our universities and our private sector to ensure that you find the best job possible and we want you to stay in the state.” 

Gov. Whitmer stayed after the debate for almost 10 minutes, while candidate Dixon answered questions for nearly 18 minutes.  

As the governor was exiting, she was asked “Are you going to have President Biden come back and campaign with you?” 

“I don’t know,” Governor Whitmer laughed and left. 

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The next debate between the two candidates is scheduled for Oct. 25 at Oakland University in Rochester.