In an energetic debate, Hogan and Jealous quarreled over Trump's education, economy and administration

In the only debate on the Maryland governor's race, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Democrat Ben Jealous strongly opposed a one-hour disagreement on Monday over whether the state needed a new direction. .

[Hogan, Jealous agree to a single debate]

The candidates described radically different views on Maryland's challenges, talking to each other and saying that the other had lied about her plans for the future.

Hogan defended his track record in education and economics, calling his opponent's attacks delusional.

"Nothing you said is even far from true," said Hogan during an exchange on job growth. "It's like living in a dream world."

Jealous, citing statistics on regional job gains, turned a blind eye to Hogan's claim that he led the economic recovery that followed the 2008 recession.

"It's like taking credit for the sunrise," said Jealous.

[In the race for governor, Hogan and Jealous see Maryland differently]

The candidates had never met before shaking hands less than five minutes before the debate, which was recorded in the morning and will be broadcast at 19 hours. Monday on Maryland Public Television.

The stakes were particularly high for Jealous, who is financially outperformed, double-digit in recent polls and has been targeted by a multi-million dollar ad campaign calling it extreme. without answer on the airwaves.

Hogan continued to hammer the messages of these advertisements, calling Jealous 'plans to increase teachers' salaries, provide public health insurance and reduce the "careless" and overpriced prison population for the state.

Jealous has repeatedly challenged Hogan, who is seeking a second term, to come up with concrete plans for the future, saying, "You can go to benjealous.com" to see what a vision looks like for him. to come up. Hogan interrupted and answered his beard with humor.

"I'm not going to go on benjealous.com," Hogan said.

[Jealous is outgunned financially in governor’s race]

The candidates stood on the podiums on opposite sides of the stage, a configuration that disguised the fact that Jealous is at least seven inches taller than the governor.

Even at a distance, the exchanges were often hostile.

When Jealous attacked the treatment of the opioid epidemic by Hogan and mentioned that he had a cousin in rehab for a heroin addiction, Hogan said he had a first cousin who died from a overdose.

At other times, the candidates used subtleties. Jealous repeatedly called Hogan "sir" and the governor told Jealous that he "respected" his past work at the head of the NAACP and his biracial son's story of Maryland teachers who had left their country because that their marriage was not legal.

The debate has highlighted the radical differences in the ways in which candidates perceive the most basic facts about the state. After Jealous said Maryland was "dead in the region with job growth," Hogan responded, "We have had one of the biggest economic recoveries in the country."

The meeting also highlighted the contrasting approaches that Hogan and Jealous made to the campaign, with the governor having launched four more years of stability to voters and Jealous arguing that too many people have been left behind.

"You are happy with the direction the state is taking or want change," said Mileah Kromer, professor of political science at Goucher College. "For Hogan, stability is positive. For Jealous, stability is not enough.

Kromer said Jealous, who spent $ 9 million less on the campaign than Hogan, needed the debate to change the story around his campaign.

"He needed a moment to change the momentum," Kromer said. His performance "helped to counter any idea of ​​inevitability for Hogan."

Jealous has repeatedly tried to remind voters that Hogan, who is much appreciated in Maryland, is a Republican.

Jealous said Hogan had twisted his proposal to reduce the state's prison population – Hogan had said Jealous wanted to release "thousands of violent criminals" – and called it a classic GOP scare tactic.

"Your party plays with the same game book: you lie and scare people," said Jealous. "I did not say I would do what you propose."

Jealous has also repeatedly referred to Trump's controversial education secretary, Betsy DeVos, and said Hogan, like DeVos, was in favor of using public money to fund school tuition fees. private.

Hogan replied that his relationship with DeVos was limited to the time he was sitting next to her reading books to students at a Montgomery County Elementary School.

"We would not tell her that she can not come into our state to read to children," Hogan said.

Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans in Maryland, and a GOP leader has not won a second term here since 1954.

A moment of emotion came at the beginning of the debate, when a reporter from Baltimore Sun asked how each of them would prevent a workplace shootout like the one that killed five former colleagues in the Capital Gazette in June.

"My heart is turning to you, and your colleagues and you are heroes," Jealous told him, before promising to fill the gaps in laws related to the sale and possession of firearms.

"It's tragic, and there's no easy answer," said Hogan, adding that he signed the "red flag" law that will come into effect next month and will allow Judges order the owners of arms to surrender their weapons to other people.

At the end of the debate, the two candidates walked away from President Trump when asked what they would tell him if they had a minute at the Oval Office. Hogan said he would tell the president to stay away from Twitter and stop creating divisions.

"I do not have much in common with the president," he said.

Jealous, he fought back to tell Trump, "I would not want to help and encourage him in the same way as our governor."

After the debate, the jealous supporters praised his performance.

"It's the tipping point in this race," said Brandon Scott, Baltimore City Council member and former candidate for the post of lieutenant governor.

Richard Vatz, professor of conservative communication at Towson University, said he did not think Hogan was giving Jealous a lot and both were aggressive. Vatz said that he thought Jealous had failed to explain why his proposals were necessary or would succeed.

Both candidates claimed victory after the debate.

"He would rather run on mythology," said Jealous. "I'm going to make sure he's running on his record."

Hogan said he thought the debate offered voters "a pretty clear definition of who we are both."

Hogan said he planned to cross the state to meet with voters in the coming weeks.

"I do not take anything for granted," he said. "I run like last time. I run like 20 points behind me.

Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.