Noem, Hawks Meet in First South Dakota 2016 US House Debate

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Republican Rep. Kristi Noem and Democratic challenger Paula Hawks at South Dakota's first U.S. House debate have avoided using the stinging attacks employed by their parties' presidential nominees.

The event was Monday in Sioux Falls, where the candidates discussed policy ranging from agriculture to energy.

Absent from the debate was acrimonious sparring over Friday's release of a video that captured GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump making predatory sexual comments about women a decade earlier.

Hawks, a state representative from Hartford, has urged Noem to reject Trump. Noem told attendees that she plans to vote for the GOP nominee because he will sign conservative legislation into law.

Noem was first elected to the House in 2010 and won against her Democratic challenger in 2014 by more than 30 percentage points.

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