13th District Congressman Rodney Davis and his Democratic challenger Ann Callis stuck to the issues during their broadcast debate Thursday night in Urbana. But speaking to reporters afterwards, the two candidates criticized the attack ads that paint them each as out-of-touch big-spenders.
The ads accuse Davis of spending 40-thousand dollars on meals at steakhouses for donors and lobbyists, and enjoying a congressional gym and lifetime healthcare while voting to shut down the government and cut Medicare.
"I have not bought a single steak, let alone expensed a single piece of food and drink on the taxpayers’ dime. I have not flown first class on the taxpayers’ dime or my dime, ever," said Davis.
Meanwhile, other ads attack Callis for owning several out-of-state homes, while renting the one in her district, and even listing her home address as Missouri on some real estate papers while serving as an Illinois judge. Callis says that as a judge, she lived and raised her children in Troy, in her downstate Illinois judicial district.
"My son was football captain and quarterback of Triad High School. If what he’s saying is true and he led his team to conference championship, their team would be stripped of that title. What he accused me of doing is violating my ethical code and really violating the law," said Callis.
Callis calls the ads against her “vicious lies and personal attacks”. Davis says the ads against him obscure the fact that he and Callis actually agreed on some issues during their debate. Neither said that their negative ads against the other would stop.