Republicans Find Common Ground in U.S. Senate Debate

The three declared Republican candidates for U.S. Senate participated in a debate Tuesday in Bedford, finding some common ground in their hopes to face off with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in November.

NHPR reports the three – Jim Rubens, Bob Smith and Karen Testerman – were united in their criticism of Scott Brown, a Rye Republican who plans to officially launch his campaign April 10 in Portsmouth. Brown was not at last night's debate, held by the Bedford Republican Committee at Bedford Public Library.

Listen to the NHPR report on the debate.

The U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire is one of the hottest contests in the country. Brown and supporters are on the airwaves with ads criticizing Shaheen particularly for support of and comments about the Affordable Care Act.

Shaheen, meanwhile, continues to call on Brown to sign "the People's Pledge," similar to what he did in his 2012 campaign in Massachusetts, to limit outside spending in the race. Brown and company have dismissed Shaheen's efforts as political gamesmanship.