Democrats Lauren Baer, Pam Keith say they have more in common than not at District 18 forum

Ali Schmitz | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Wages, gun control, affordable higher education and the Trump administration.

Those are the topics millennial voters heard about — by design — at a political forum for the two Democrats challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, for the Treasure Coast congressional seat.

St. Lucie County teenagers Nigel Johnson and Alejandro Cendejas, who organized Wednesday night's debate at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, intentionally posed questions on the social issues most important to millennial voters.

What they heard were more similarities than differences between Lauren Baer and Pam Keith, both of them Palm Beach Gardens attorneys.

Common values

Baer and Keith have more in common than not. They both:

Want a higher minimum wage.

Support decriminalizing marijuana.

Declined to take donations from corporations.

Support fighting for equal rights for LGBT individuals, minorities and women.

Oppose the GOP-led tax plan passed last fall, saying it benefits the wealthy over middle-class and poor people.

Each has committed to supporting the other after the Aug. 28 primary, despite the outcome.

“We are both Democrats, we are both decent people, and we both want to see a country we are proud of,” Keith said.

Some differences

Higher education: While Keith supports tuition-free college for students who go into the public sector, Baer supports student-loan forgiveness for them.

While Keith supports tuition-free college for students who go into the public sector, Baer supports student-loan forgiveness for them. Health care: While Baer supports improving the Affordable Care Act by allowing individuals and businesses to buy into Medicaid, Keith supports Medicare for All and single-payer healthcare.

While Baer supports improving the Affordable Care Act by allowing individuals and businesses to buy into Medicaid, Keith supports Medicare for All and single-payer healthcare. Russia investigation: While Keith would vote to impeach the president, Baer said she would do so only if special counsel Robert Mueller's evidence showed Donald Trump did something illegal.

More: At March for Our Lives, U.S. House District 18 candidates differ on gun control

Different approach

Approach is where they differ most, they agreed.

Keith, who often makes bold statements, accused some Democrats of being too weak and called herself a "cage-fighting MMA Democrat." At one point during the forum, for example, she called for Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to be arrested for the Trump administration’s child separation policy.

"What we find is too often in today's politics is there is a team that is willing to do just about anything in the name of wrong," Keith said. "So it's high time we have a team that's willing to do something in the name of right."

Baer said she takes a more “pragmatic approach.”

“I don’t want to grandstand talking about locking up Cabinet officials instead of doing the realistic, hard work it’s going to take to fix our immigration system now,” Baer said. “I am never going to promise you something that I can’t arguably do from my position as a member of Congress.”

Varied support

Baer has been favored by the party establishment, receiving financial and organizational support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as part of its Red to Blue Program. High-ranking House members, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn, have raised money for or campaigned with Baer.

Keith has been supported by several progressive groups including Justice Democrats, a PAC founded by former Bernie Sanders staffers, and Vote Vets, a group that supports liberal veterans running for public office.

Baer's campaign has more than $1 million cash on hand, she announced earlier this week. Keith's campaign has not released its most recent quarterly fundraising numbers, and said she's struggled to raise money because of the DCCC's support of Baer.

More: Keith complains Democrats are rigging Aug. 28 primary for Baer

Algae crisis

One of the Democrats will face Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Mast on Nov. 6.

Mast has made environmental issues a central focus in his first term, pushing for federal funding for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to reduce discharges and being vocal about toxic blue-green algae blooms.

More: Brian Mast seeks federal state of emergency for FEMA help

But Democrats have blasted him for not speaking out against former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who resigned after a series of ethics scandals. Baer also cited Mast's low 23 percent score by the League of Conservation Voters, a liberal-leaning environmental advocacy group.

More: Highly toxic algae reported in C-44 Canal

“We’re never going to solve our algae problem unless we put hard limits on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous in our water, unless we deal with septic tank conversions in Martin County, unless we move to a cleaner water system,” Baer said.

Keith accused Mast of turning his back on clean-water activists by taking money from corporate interests. However, Mast does not accept donations from the sugar industry.

“The chemical companies have lobbyists, they have somebody who speaks for them. Corporations have lobbyists, they have somebody speaking for them," Keith said. "He’s supposed to be speaking for us."

Keith said locals should treat algae as an epidemic and do more to publicize it worldwide.

District 18

District 18 is one of several swing districts Democrats hope to flip in November.

Nonpartisan political analysts, including Cook Political Report, InsideElections and Sabato's Crystal Ball, predict Mast will keep his seat, but the race could be close.

Mast has two Republican primary challengers: Fort Pierce businessman Dave Cummings and Palm Beach County-based doctor Mark Freeman.

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