MARYLAND HEIGHTS • With their differences on full display, the candidates seeking to become Missouri’s next U.S. senator stood together on stage for the first time Friday, with GOP challenger Josh Hawley going on the attack against incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

In a forum at a suburban St. Louis hotel sponsored by the Missouri Press Association, the two contenders along with two minor-party candidates squared off in the initial debate in a nationally watched race that could decide which party controls the Senate.

Hawley, who took office in 2017, sought to label McCaskill as a liberal who is out of step with "heartland values." He said he wants to promote President Donald Trump's agenda if he goes to Washington. “I have heard what the people of this state said in 2016,” Hawley said.

McCaskill, who described herself as a “moderate,” scolded Hawley for name-calling and said compromise is an important trait in the Senate.

“You fix the Senate by finding out where there is common ground,” McCaskill said.