Rebekah L. Sanders

The Republic | azcentral.com

While Democrat U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema touted Veterans Affairs reform in the only debate of her race%2C the libertarian candidate said military veterans should be %22tossed out%22 on their own.

Republican Wendy Rogers did not show up.

The contrasts couldn't have been starker in the only general-election debate of the 9th Congressional District.

On virtually every issue, Democratic U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema's positions were diametrically opposed to libertarian opponent Powell Gammill's. Republican challenger Wendy Rogers did not participate in the Monday debate on the public-television show Horizon.

Sinema, a freshman, touted "hitting the ground running" during her first two years in Congress and reaching across the aisle, while Gammill urged voters to boycott the "corrupt" political system and avoid the polls.

Sinema said, on immigration, border security should be improved and that undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S. should be given a path to citizenship. Gammill supports open borders and called for states to regain authority over immigration from the federal government.

Sinema took every opportunity to talk about improving care for veterans. Gammill said veterans don't deserve benefits and should be "tossed out" on their own. He said the federal government should cut all spending and collect no taxes.

Veterans Affairs reform is an attractive issue for Sinema. She has two brothers who are veterans. The Phoenix VA hospital, epicenter of the scandal over the bureaucracy's handling of health care for veterans, is located in her swing district. And it earns her crossover appeal from independent and Republican voters.

Holding her hand up for the camera, Sinema displayed a black ring on her "trigger" finger that she said is meant to remind her of the 21 veterans on average who kill themselves each day.

"This issue is so important to me. We can't let it go," Sinema said. "We're losing our patriots to suicide."

Sinema rattled off legislation she introduced or supported to make it easier to expand mental-health care for veterans, fire delinquent VA administrators and reform the larger system.

Gammill, in contrast, said veterans should fend for themselves.

"I would basically toss 'em on their own," he said. "I don't believe in stealing people's money (through taxes) and spending it on veterans. I don't believe we owe this to them."

Gammill said veterans should turn to charitable organizations if they need help. The United States should stop going to war to reduce the number of injured veterans, he said.