Louise Slaughter, Maggie Brooks Square Off At WROC-TV Studios

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and County Executive Maggie Brooks are in a heated race for the 25th congressional district.

It didn't take long for sparks to fly when Slaughter and Brooks were asked about creating local jobs, "my opponent is great at rhetoric and rallies she stood there at Hickey Freeman and said she's saving American jobs and darn it that company's going bankrupt," said Brooks, "she was out at GM in Honeoye Falls and said this company is the engine of our future now that company is taking those jobs and that technology to another state, and I haven't heard my opponent say word one about that."

Slaughter responded saying, "I don't represent Honeoye Falls, I was not there," she went on to say, "I'm certainly sorry to see those jobs go but that corporate decision was not made in my district, second the idea about Hickey Freeman, Hickey Freeman is doing well."

The candidates covered a variety of topics during the hour long debate including health care, federal spending, and women's issues. When the talk turned to the negative tone of the campaigns, Brooks and Slaughter went after each other. Slaughter said, "The corruption issue is very important to me, I've worried about it for some time, and I want to make a pledge to you right now that win lose or draw on next Tuesday I'm not through with that." Brooks responded by saying, "it's a distortion and I think people should question a person's integrity when they won't even stand up and take ownership of something that is completely false."

Both campaigns are pleased with their candidates performance, "

I think that any fair minded observer that saw the debate would think that Maggie Brooks did very, very well," said Tom Cook, the Chairman of the Conservative Party of Monroe County. Slaughter campaign spokesman Eric Walker said, "I think it was a great show for viewers at home for why they should re-elect Louise Slaughter for congress."

For the League of Women Voters, which sponsored the debate, it's all about getting information to voters so they can make an informed decision, "that's our main goal especially during this election season to get the information, the correct information, out there and then let the citizens decide on who they think is appropriate for this area, as well as for them," said Brian Valenti, Vice President of the League of Women Voters.

The next time the candidates will square off will be at the polls on election day.