MANCHESTER, N.H. — Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown insisted Thursday he knows the terrain of his adopted state, following a clumsy debate response that sparked questions about the former Massachusetts senator's grasp of New Hampshire geography.

"We have a big picture conversation, but I want to drill down to Main Street here in New Hampshire," began WMUR reporter James Pindell during a debate at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. "Senator Brown, what do you see going right in the economy in Sullivan County and what's going wrong? And please be specific."

Brown's response remained broad as he briefly outlined several problems facing New Hampshire residents before pivoting to national issues. At that point, Pindell pushed him to give specifics, but not before clarifying the part of the state he was asking about.

“We’re talking about Sullivan County and I think you’re talking about the North Country,” Pindell said. “Sullivan County is west of Concord, it’s not north of Concord.” The New Hampshire Democratic Party wasted no time uploading a clip of the exchange and sending out press releases calling attention to the gaffe.

At a press conference following the debate, Brown dismissed the criticism and told reporters about a visit he made to Mount Sunapee in Sullivan County two weeks ago.

“It’s northwest, I guess I should have been more specific,” Brown said. “Obviously it is north of Concord. I’ve visited every county and I’m going to continue to take that message of independence to every county.”

Later Thursday night, Pindell tweeted a response to Brown.