WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Ron Estes and Democrat James Thompson squabbled over health care reform, Planned Parenthood funding and more during their first face-to-face encounter in the race to fill the seat vacated by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

 

Their contentious forum Thursday in the heavily Republican district played out against the backdrop of GOP efforts in Washington, D.C., to repeal the nation’s health care law. Kansas has the nation’s first congressional race since President Donald Trump’s election.

Estes says he supports the repeal and replacement of “Obamacare.”

Thompson contends country needs to work out the problems in the health care system.He says health care should be “affordable and accessible for everybody.”

Estes supports defunding Planned Parenthood. Thompson says Planned Parenthood has done a lot of good.

 

The election is April 11.

The district includes Barber, Butler, Chautauqua, Comanche, Cowley, Edwards, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Kiowa, Pratt, Sedgwick, Stafford, and Sumner counties as well as a portion of Pawnee County.