TRENTON — The first and only debate between U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Cory Booker and Republican Jeff Bell was lively and contrasting.

You can watch the debate, which was taped Friday, on WABC, WPVI and Univision on Sunday or read NJ.com's account of it here.

Here are five takeaways from the event:

1. With just one debate, this New Jersey Senate race had the fewest in this century.

Jeff Bell wanted more debates, like the 21 he had against Democrat Bill Bradley the first time he ran, in the 1978 U.S. Senate election. Cory Booker would only agree to one.

There have been five other U.S. Senate general elections since 2000, and all had more debates. Last year, Booker had two debates with Republican opponent Steve Lonegan in the special election. In 2012, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) had two debates against Republican Joe Kyrillos. In 2008, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg had two debates against Republican Dick Zimmer. In 2006, Menendez debated Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. four times. And in 2000, Democrat Jon Corzine had three debates against Republican Bob Franks.

2. Cory Booker loves to point out that Jeff Bell lived in Virginia for more than 30 years.

If you didn’t know that Bell moved to Virginia in 1983 and stayed there until this February, you do now. Booker mentioned that several times during the debate to tweak Bell, who responded that it’s not exactly a gotcha point because he begins most of his speeches by noting it. Bell said he moved from Virginia to run because nobody else would talk about the gold standard and the role of the Federal Reserve.

3. Cory Booker was once a once-cell zygote.

So was Jeff Bell. So were you. After Booker asked Bell about why he doesn’t support a woman’s right to have an abortion even in cases of rape, Bell said this: “Certainly, women have bodies, and I respect that… They need to protect their bodies. But unborn babies have bodies, too. Cory Booker was once a one-cell zygote. And a one-cell zygote grows up to be a human being."

This scientific fact is a core argument many anti-abortion activists use to explain their positions.

4. Jeff Bell wants to tie Cory Booker to President Obama.

Booker hasn’t mentioned Obama on the campaign trail all that much this year. That may be because the president’s approval rating in New Jersey is at a low point. But Bell at the debate was determined not to let Booker shirk his long support for Obama, or the fact that he tends to vote with him.

5. The tea party isn’t the force it once was, but it looms large in political rhetoric.

Jeff Bell was a tea partier well before there was such a national movement. Booker repeatedly called Bell ‐ whose 1978 primary victory against Republican incumbent Clifford Case presaged the Reagan Revolution that pushed the GOP to become a more conservative party — a tea partier. Bell said he didn’t agree with tea party on everything, but called it a vital group. "I love the Declaration and the Constitution, and I love the tea party’s desire to revitalize them and bring them back into daily life," he said.

Matt Friedman may be reached at mfriedman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattFriedmanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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