Republican U.S. House hopeful Nick Pierson aggressively attacked veteran U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva in personal terms Tuesday, claiming Grijalva was "not a good example of a Mexican … and he’s not a good example of an American."

But Pierson repeatedly stumbled when asked for details of his charges or alternative policy proposals.

Both candidates in the 3rd Congressional District race are of Mexican descent and argued over who was sufficiently worthy of their ancestry during a debate on Arizona PBS (Channel 8).

"He’s not a good role model for the people in our community," Pierson said at the outset of their face-to-face television appearance. "This guy has been drunk on the job. There’s dozens of people who have seen this and witnessed this."

Pierson was referring to a 2015 secret, $48,000 settlement involving an unidentified committee staff member who alleged Grijalva was frequently drunk and created a hostile workplace. That settlement only became known in 2017.

Pierson, a GOP longshot in a district where Democrats have a 23-percentage-point registration advantage, also accused Grijalva of chasing jobs from the 3rd Congressional District and turning only to government to solve problems.

MORE: Arizona elections: Raúl Grijalva favored for re-election, experts say

The barrage of character attacks followed Pierson’s pledge to bring more civility to Washington from Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.

Grijalva, a Democrat seeking his ninth term on Capitol Hill, sarcastically thanked Pierson for adding civility to the debate, then noted that the Office of Congressional Ethics reviewed the allegations and recommended a dismissal because it lacked facts.

Afterward, Grijalva hit back at Pierson.

"Quite frankly, if Mr. Pierson cares so much about this district, he should probably live in the district that he chooses to want to represent," Grijalva said. "You don’t live in the district."

At first, Pierson called that a falsehood, but then acknowledged that "I live close to the district and I’ve been working in the district for many years."

"Sir, I have been involved in these Latino issues my whole life," Grijalva said, "and I have never seen you there."

The debate, the first in a series, aired live on Arizona PBS's "Arizona Horizon" public-affairs program and was co-sponsored by The Arizona Republic.

Pierson accused Grijalva, who was first elected in 2002, of helping "the good old boys" over tending to the needs of the district. "He takes care of his own interests first," Pierson said.

MORE:Arizona elections: Raúl Grijalva favored for re-election, experts say

Asked how Grijalva takes care of his own interests first, Pierson paused five seconds, then said, "If you look in the public record, there’s a number of areas that has been the case."

Pressed for specifics, he said only, "Well."

Grijalva noted that his office was one of two honored by the Congressional Management Foundation this year for offering the best constituent services in Washington.

As the debate shifted to other issues, Pierson said he didn't take seriously what President Donald Trump says, but takes seriously his policies, especially those helping the national economy.

He stumbled over whether he would want a Trump endorsement, something likely to drag down a candidate in a solidly Democratic district.

Pierson called for a more secure border and an enforcement policy that treats people with dignity.

For his part, Grijalva made clear that his support for the "Abolish ICE" movement this summer didn't mean to do away with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. He did, however, say the agency was being "weaponized politically" and called for more scrutiny of its impact on civil rights.

Pierson views the Affordable Care Act as a failure, while Grijalva noted that the national uninsured figure has dropped by 20 million since it was passed.

Asked for an alternative to the ACA, Pierson, who worked as a financial adviser in the insurance industry, said he didn't have one yet and noted that people could go to the emergency room if they didn't have health insurance anyway.

"A lot of my proposals have not been completely formulated," he later said. "But I bring a lifetime of experience in working on community boards in working with businesses in structuring their financial security programs."

Grijalva said one of the main issues in the race is credibility.

"I find it real ironic that someone who has no track record in any of these issues, no track record in the district itself, suddenly is questioning every motivation that I have or the Democrats have in general," he said. "He represents his party. He represents Trump's party."

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