U.S. Senate candidates Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove cast each other as financially irresponsible Friday night during a televised debate in Mississippi. Wicker is a Republican and Musgrove is a Democrat.

Wicker said that Musgrove, as governor, erased the state's surplus and increased the debt.

Musgrove said that during the 14 years Wicker has been in Washington, the national deficit has ballooned.

They are competing to fill the final four years of the six-year term started by Republican Trent Lott. The election is Nov. 4.

Gov. Haley Barbour moved Wicker from the U.S. House to temporarily fill the Senate seat after Lott retired last December.

This was the first debate in Mississippi history to be televised live in every television market in the state, including WTOK-TV.

The format was patterned after presidential debate formats. WTOK news director John Johnson was one of the panelists asking questions. The debate was moderated by WLBT’s Maggie Wade Dixon.