By David Farmer,Staff Writer
GOP voters get two chances to check out the Republican candidates for governor.

LEWISTON – The three Republican candidates for governor faced a double-decker debate day Thursday.

Former U.S. Rep. Dave Emery, state Sen. Peter Mills and state Sen. Chandler Woodcock started off with an hour-long taped debate in the studios of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network in Lewiston.

Later in the day, the three headed to Westbrook for a town hall forum sponsored by WLOB and Fox TV.

Both shows aired Thursday night at 8 p.m., giving Republican primary voters a choice of format to watch the candidates.

The public broadcasting event will be rebroadcast at 1 p.m. today on the network’s radio stations and on television at 2 p.m. Sunday.

During the MPBN debate, hosted by State House Bureau Chief Fred Bever and Deputy News Director Susan Sharon, the three concentrated on the messages they have been developing throughout the campaign.

For Emery, that meant emphasizing his experience in Washington as a congressman and as a member of the Reagan administration, his broad vision for the state and his distaste for the public financing his two opponents are relying upon to fund their campaigns.

Mills stuck with his appeal to moderate and unenrolled voters, stressing his electability in the fall and the need to impose sound management and fiscal restraint on state government.

Woodcock adhered closely to his conservative credentials and his personal values, tested by his career as a teacher and as a father of four.

The MPBN questioners worked hard to expose daylight between the candidates, and some clear differences did emerge.

Emery and Woodcock said that they support a ballot initiative called the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which would limit spending by local and state governments and require a two-thirds majority to raise taxes or exceed the caps.

Mills said TABOR was a bad idea that would not accomplish its goals because important parts of it are unconstitutional while others would undermine Maine’s traditional town meeting style of government.

On two other social issues, Mills and Woodcock took opposing positions, with Emery splitting the difference.

Woodcock, who has the strongest pro-life credentials among the candidates, said that ultimately the legality of abortion would be decided on the federal level, but that he would support further restrictions on the practice.

Emery more or less agreed, saying that there are a few areas that need attention, including the elimination of partial birth abortions with a few exceptions and parental notification.

Mills, while never stating the obvious – that he has a long voting record of supporting abortion rights – said that he would leave state law as it is. Maine, he said, has had one of the most rapidly dropping rates of abortion and teen pregnancy in the country. If the goal is to reduce the number of abortions in the state, the laws are working fine.

During a time when the candidates could question one another, Mills asked Woodcock about his support for the teaching of so-called intelligent design or creationism in public schools. Woodcock said he believed all the possibilities should be taught so students and their parents could make up their own minds.

Emery disagreed, saying that creationism and ID are matters of religion and not science and shouldn’t be part of the public school curriculum.

The sharpest exchange surrounded the public financing of Woodcock’s and Mills’ campaigns. Throughout the campaign, Emery has called the Maine Clean Election Act, which provides taxpayer funds for candidates who qualify, “welfare for politicians.”

He asked viewers how they would spend $3 million, $4 million or more dollars if they had a choice: on reduced taxes or on campaign commercials and yard signs for politicians.

In defense of clean elections, Woodcock said that as a retired school teacher and someone who doesn’t come from great personal wealth, without the MCEA it wouldn’t have been possible for him to run for governor.

Mills was more aggressive, saying that the thousands of dollars that Emery had accepted from special interest groups would come with a cost. He questioned what special access the tobacco lobby had bought with its contributions.

The primary will be held June 13. The winner of the GOP primary will face a Democrat, Green Independent and four independents in the fall.