Democrat Congressman Bill Owens, Republican Matt Doheny and Green Party candidate Donald Hassig headline a candidate forum held by The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce. Our Brooke Selby was there and has more on what was discussed.

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QUEENSBURY, N.Y. -- November is fast approaching and the demand from voters to meet the candidates in the new 21st Congressional District is increasing. Tuesday night marked the first public debate for all three candidates: Democratic Incumbent Bill Owens, Republican Matt Doheny and the Green party’s Donald Hassig. The trio wasted very little time getting into it.

"The reason I am against card check is because I have a deep belief in the fundamental fairness that is America," said Doheny.

"Well I have to say I do not know very much about that legislation. If you could expand upon it just slightly I could try to answer your question better. Sure the card check employee free choice act is a means of forming unions and businesses,” said Hassig.

"And I'm a supporter of card check. One of the issues that we struggle with today is obviously the decline and pressure that the middle class is under. We need to be very careful as we move forward that that pressure does not continue," said Owens.

Owens says health care needs to focus on the basics like getting people insured and permitting preventative care through the Affordable Health Care Act, but his opponent Doheny is adamant about one thing.

"I want to repeal and replace Obamacare. Any bill that will cut Medicare by over $500 million by raising taxes but on top of that takes decision making away from individuals and their physicians,” said Doheny.

Social Security pushed some buttons as well. Doheny thinks Social Security is going to become insolvent and feels the age should be raised to 67.

"I would tell you that I am opposed to doing that. That would have to take into account that different people work in different types of jobs that may not allow them to work until they're 67. We need to make sure that any adjustments that we make are focused on the needs of the people and it meets the needs of the people and that it meets the basic requirement or concept that was put into place 70 or 80 years ago,” said Doheny.

This district is the largest in the state and that also means it has the greatest number of voters over the age of 50, giving Social Security some substantial weight in this race.