SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- U.S. Rep. John Katko was the most popular topic at Sunday's Democratic Congressional primary debate, and he didn't even have to show up.
Democrats Dana Balter and Juanita Perez Williams chided Katko early and often in a 90-minute public debate at H.W. Smith Elementary School in Syracuse Sunday evening.
Each is vying for a shot to challenge the second-term Republican in November. His name came up more than 30 times as the potential challengers chafed at his Congressional voting record.
Katko and President Donald Trump were the most frequent targets in what was, overall, a very cordial debate. Balter and Perez Williams made no attempt to impugn or even strongly disagree with one another. They agreed on most major issues in the debate except one: Who is the best person to get the job done?
They agreed that Katko needs to go, that President Donald Trump is unfit to make key military decisions, that separating children from parents at the border is reprehensible, that there's too much dark money in politics and that charter schools are no way to improve our public education system.
"Dana and I...agree on all the big issues," Perez Williams said in her closing remarks. "She wants to hold Trump and the Republicans in Congress accountable and so do I. But this election is more than that. It's about who can get the job done..."
"I agree the fundamental question is who can beat Katko, and that's why you should vote for me," Balter said. "I have been demonstrating how I can stand up to him, how I can go toe to toe with him."
The only issue on which the candidates have publicly sparred is abortion. Balter has criticized Perez Williams for marching in a pro-life rally in Washington D.C. Perez Williams has repeatedly said she and Balter are on the same side of the issue.
A moderator Sunday asked each candidate to offer their position on women's rights.
"I support a woman's right to choose," Perez Williams began.
"No you don't!" came a shout from the audience.
"Yes I do," Perez Williams replied, before expanding on her answer. "It's not about whether I agree with [the choice] or not. It's about women having access to it. And I'll fight for it and be sure it's there for my daughters and granddaughters and all the women that come after us."
Balter asked a moderator if she could respond to Perez Williams' answer. The moderator, 15-year-old Max Mimaroglu, said no.
With few differences in policy, the candidates sought to differentiate themselves on experience, personality, style and motivation. Perez Williams often invoked her family (she has four children and a grandson) as a critical component of why she's in this race. Balter emphasized her steadfast opposition to President Trump since his election in 2016.
Both said it's critical to protect Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and each criticized Katko for his relative silence on the issue.
Both agreed Central New York needs to attract more good-paying jobs. Balter said she sees opportunities in green infrastructure and renewable energy. Perez Williams said she would support the Corporate Responsibility and Taxpayer Protection Act, which is intended to punish companies that don't pay employees a living wage.
Each supports a federal $15 minimum wage.
About 100 people attended the event, hosted by Syracuse Students for Change, a gun law reform group created in the wake of a school shooting in Parkland, Fla. The moderators were area high school students. Max Mimaroglu is a freshman at Jamesville-DeWitt. Zoe Curewitz is a sophomore at Nottingham High School. Acadia Gilchrist is a senior at Jamesville-DeWitt.
Juanita Perez Williams and Dana Balter pose with members of Syracuse Students for Change, who organized a Democratic primary debate on Sunday, June 17, 2018 at H.W. Smith Elementary School.
The debate Sunday was the first and only public debate in the primary.
Balter and Perez Williams met last week for a discussion of issues on Spectrum News. WRVO's Grant Reeher also hosted both candidates on his radio show, the Campbell Conversations.
The pair will meet for one more debate prior to the election, to be hosted by NewsChannel 9. That debate will not be open to the public. The 30-minute debate will air at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 and at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 24. NewsChannel 9's Dan Cummings will moderate.
The primary election is Tuesday, June 26.
The only public poll shows Perez Williams 13 points ahead of Balter. Each pledged Sunday to support whoever wins the nomination, insisting they're committed to seeing Democrats flip the 24th District.