Congressional candidates swap accusations in debate
By Stephen Palkot Wednesday, April 2, 2008 3:10 PM CDT


Congressional candidate Pete Olson on Tuesday accused his opponent of supporting illegal immigration when she was a Houston City Council member.

Shelley Sekula Gibbs, meanwhile, fired back that Olson helped develop the much-reviled Trans-Texas Corridor.

The two Republicans are vying for placement on the ballot of the November general election for Congressional District 22, and they met Tuesday for a debate at the Sugar Creek Country Club. Voters will choose between them in Tuesday's runoff election, with the winner challenging incumbent Nick Lampson, a Democrat.

The two candidates had much in common in their answers to questions about national policy. For instance, both supported the notion of establishing a national energy plan, and both supported expanded drilling in the U.S. (including the wildlife refuge in Alaska), opening new refineries in the U.S. and reviving the nuclear industry.

But they also used the forum to occasionally veer off-topic into what were obviously rehearsed snipes at one-another.

Olson argued that Sekula Gibbs' council votes to fund centers for day laborers, totalling $400,000, represents neither fiscal conservatism nor “being strong on illegal immigration.â€