The five candidates for governor of Massachusetts participated in their first broadcast debate Monday night, the only one scheduled in western Massachusetts.
Republican Charlie Baker and Democrat Martha Coakley differed on energy policy, the need for universal pre-school, and indexing the gasoline tax to inflation. Baker said rather than raise the gas tax the state should rein in transportation costs.
"We've got to figure out how to do this stuff better and cheaper and in some cases faster."
Coakley said badly needed road and bridge projects won’t get done without the higher gas tax.
"We can not do that if we do not have a predictable identifiable source for that kind of investment."
Polls show Coakley and Baker in a dead heat, with independents Evan Falchuck, Scott Lively and Jeff McCormick polling in the low single digits.
