Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, faced his Republican challenger, University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl, in a live, televised debate Thursday night hosted by CBS4 in partnership with The Colorado Sun. 

The two candidates battled over their views on the economy, water, crime, abortion and education. 

Ganahl’s economic policies hinge largely on Colorado voters approving the conversion of fees into taxes. That’s how she plans to eliminate the state income tax, which funds about a third of the state budget and more than half of the state’s general fund, and also how she plans to complete her transportation-funding proposal. 

Polis, too, has advocated for eliminating the income tax, but only if the revenue is replaced. He has suggested that enacting pollution and carbon taxes may be one way to do that, even though he wants Colorado to run on 100% renewable energy by 2040. On Thursday, he said that the tax would have to be shifted in the future as climate policies are adopted. 

The governor didn’t provide specifics on whether he’d push to eliminate the income tax if he is reelected in November to a second four-year term.

Read more on ColoradoSun.com.