Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Schuette, talk before their second debate, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, Pool)

DETROIT, MI -- If you cozied up to the TV for the final gubernatorial debate with Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Schuette last night, you may have left with some of the same questions you came with.

Sparks and insults flew during the fast-paced debate, sprinkled between questions of statewide importance. And while the candidates always had a response, on some questions they pivoted to talking points and moved on, leaving the question in their wake.

Sometimes it was one candidate who didn't answer, and other times it was both. Here are five times at least one candidate's response left the audience hanging.

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1) Where the road money will come from

The very first question in the debate, about roads, went unanswered in its specifics by both candidates.

The question: "In the first debate a couple weeks ago in Grand Rapids you were asked to state very simply how much is it going to cost to fix our roads and where's the money going to come from. Your answers were not quite as simple as the question would demand, so I'd like to try again. A recent independent infrastructure commission found that we need to be spending more than $2 billion a year on our roads. You both talked about drawing off money off of other budgets in the state and combining it with federal money. Which services or departments can expect to see money redirected toward our roadways, are higher taxes a possibility, if so, which taxes, and I prefer to hear about your plan rather than your take on your opponent's plan."

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The answers: Scillian's preference was not quite honored, but more importantly the specifics of his question -- where you'd pull from in the budget and which taxes you would raise if any -- went unanswered by both candidates.

Whitmer said people were already paying a road tax for all the car repairs potholes have necessitated but declined to say anything about if her plan would raise taxes and instead referenced the possibility of a bond.

Schuette made it clear he doesn't favor raising taxes. But he ignored the request to address specifically where his plan would pull money from in the existing state budget, instead saying "everybody" was going to have to chip in.

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2) If Michigan should join governors fighting climate change

The question: "The United Nations recently released a deeply alarming report that suggests we are running out of time to have an impact on the climate change that threatens our planet. When President Trump announced a withdrawal from the Paris agreement, 14 governors across the country announced that they were going to vow to meet the demands of the agreement anyway and craft state policies to fight global warming. I'm wondering if you think those 14 governors were right, what's your takeaway on this United Nations report, and what approach would your administration would have to dealing with climate change," Scillian said.

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The answers: Whitmer did answer the question directly, saying the governors in that agreement were right and she would enter Michigan into the U.S. Climate Alliance until the country has a president that gets the country back into the Paris accord.

Schuette, on the other hand, talked briefly about climate change without addressing the group of governors.

"Climate change is real, and the earth is getting warmer. We need to make sure that every nation is part of a solution but it can't just be the United States of America, China and other countries need to be part of this as well," Schuette said before pivoting to one of his main talking points, about the manufacture of a truck.

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3) What to do about Nestle

The question: "Let's move on to the subject of water now. Whether it's Flint, Detroit Public Schools, Line 5 in the Mackinac straits, the Nestle deal or the increased alarm over what we're hearing about PFAS, Michiganders have been boiling mad about water. Of the many water issues in the state, viewers and commenters on our social media sites are most upset here recently about Nestle's $200-a-year deal to bottle Michigan water. What would you do about it, and more generally which of you will be the best custodian for Michigan's most precious natural resource?" asked Kimberly Gill of WDIV.

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The answers: In his initial response Schuette talked about opposing withdrawals from the Great Lakes and supporting ballast water standards before pivoting to talk about his prosecution in the Flint water crisis and the economy. Before a rebuttal, Gill reminded him she wanted to know what he would do about Nestle.

After that reminder he mentioned the company but did not say what action he would take.

"With respect to Nestle, all of these issues need to be done on solid science. It's the 21st century, we can have economic development and we can have water that is produced at Nestle."

Whitmer also talked about Flint and didn't get to Nestle specifically during her first swipe at the question. But during a rebuttal she made her position clear.

"When it comes to Nestle I don't believe that they should be taking the water out of our ground and selling it and I want to stop that," Whitmer said.

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4) Whether Michigan should be a sanctuary state

The question: "Currently, several thousand people are trying to make their way through Mexico from Honduras with an eye towards reaching the United States and this migrant caravan has poured jet fuel on the national immigration debate. Michigan of course has a rich cross-section of immigrant communities, much of the debate has of course centered on illegal immigration but we come to find this year that right now Michigan has seen a 75 percent decrease in legal refugee arrivals, in fact it's been a national record low this year across the country. I would like your thoughts on immigration and whether Michigan should be a sanctuary state," Scillian said.

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The answers: Whitmer skated the question, saying the national immigration system was broken and talking about Michigan's immigrant heritage without saying if it should be a sanctuary state. She pivoted to talk about the Trump administration separating parents and children at the border.

Schuette did answer the question, saying Whitmer would make Michigan a sanctuary state and he would not.

"When I'm governor there will be no sanctuary cities in Michigan," Schuette said.

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5) How to make college more affordable

The question: "You've both said that college isn't for everyone and that's true. But for those who aspire to it, it has moved out of reach of many of them unless they're willing to take on insane debt where they're still trying to pay off student loans 10 to 15 years after they've left school. Former Governor [John] Engler, now the interim president at Michigan State [University], challenged you both in an opinion piece recently in Bridge Magazine about what we do about this duplicitous world where the state forces tuition control at the same time that it's taking away funding? What do we do to put this terribly important component of higher education back within reach?"

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The answers: Whitmer cited part of her economic plan called the MI Opportunity Scholarship, which people could use to get a two-year degree or bring down the cost of a four-year degree.

But Schuette did not offer an idea on how to make college more affordable, saying only that he would work with high schools and colleges to "make sure we have proper outcomes for students, proper funding for schools" before pivoting to talk about the economy.

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Watch, read more

The debate was the last between the two candidates before the Nov. 6 election.

Watch the debate in its entirety here.

Read more about it here.

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More information about the Nov. 6 midterm elections

Polls will be open in Michigan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6. Check Michigan's Secretary of State website to see whether you are registered and to preview your ballot.

MLive has partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund to provide candidate information and other voting resources to Michigan readers.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. For specific information about the 8th Congressional District race and other Michigan races, visit Vote411.org.

Read more MLive election coverage here.