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Marcy Kaptur (D) and Richard May (R) debating at Cleveland City Club, Oct. 6, 2014, 9th Congressional District election. THE BLADE/TOM TROY Enlarge | Buy This Photo Published: Tuesday, 10/7/2014 - Updated: 2 minutes ago

BY TOM TROY BLADE POLITICS WRITER

CLEVELAND The two candidates vying in Ohios 9th Congressional District faced off in a friendly debate Monday that still managed to draw the ideological distinctions between the two candidates.

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) who is seeking election to a 17th term, and Cleveland conservative activist Richard May (R.) jousted over immigration, national debt, and the Affordable Care Act.

Miss Kaptur said comprehensive immigration reform is ready in bill form in the House, controlled by Republicans.

The most important act we can take is for the Speaker [of the House] who comes from Ohio to bring the bill to the floor. It has festered far too long, Miss Kaptur said, referring to Rep. John Boehner (R., West Chester). She said labor trafficking of workers who are here under illegal status needs to be talked about publicly.

Mr. May disagreed about an immigration bill, saying we dont need that much change. We need to enforce the laws that we have.

We have plenty of people that can do any kind of work in America. We dont need thousands, millions of people coming through Mexico, Mr. May said.

In response to her jibe about the House Speaker, he told Miss Kaptur to tell Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow 380 bills that are sponsored by Republicans to be brought to a vote.

The debate was held at a luncheon of the Cleveland City Club in front of about 70 people. It is only the second joint appearance of the two candidates so far after an event with other candidates last week in Port Clinton. The Cleveland City Club is missing out on its normal contingent of debates this year because Gov. John Kasich, the Republican incumbent, refuses to debate his Democratic opponent, Ed FitzGerald.

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Immigration, health care drive debate