Republican Bobby Charles defended his plans to cut the state budget and eliminate Maine’s income tax within four years on the debate stage Wednesday night, marking the first time all seven Republicans running for governor appeared together for a televised debate.

Charles, who led the race in early polling and has pitched himself as the front-runner, skipped two earlier debates last week, prompting attacks from his opponents. That continued to be the case Wednesday as Charles and other candidates immediately sparred over a question about how they would each reduce spending and save tax dollars.

Wednesday’s debate was hosted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and News Center Maine. A debate among the Democratic candidates will air at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Charles was given the first chance to respond on the spending and taxes question, saying he would eliminate the income tax in four years and hitting current Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, for “reckless” growth in the state budget.

“We will use every tool in our basket to get (income) taxes down, and then we’re going to turn simultaneously to property taxes,” Charles said.

Jonathan Bush, a healthcare entrepreneur who has led fundraising, and Garrett Mason, a former Maine Senate majority leader who has seen an infusion of outside spending on his behalf, were quick to attack Charles, with Mason noting that Charles has pledged to cut $4 billion from the state budget. The current biennial budget is about $12 billion.

Mason said he has talked to current and former lawmakers who’ve worked on state budgets and said that Charles’ proposal would “tank the state economy.” As a former lawmaker himself, Mason said he worked to lower income taxes by cutting moderately from state government and eliminating fraud and abuse. “That’s the approach I would take,” he said.

Bush has proposed cutting income taxes by $2,000 per family — totaling about $1 billion. He said his plan “separates me from lobbyists,” in a hit at Charles. “Bobby, with respect, hasn’t run anything in a very long time except for a small lobbying firm,” he said.

Charles later fired back, saying his job as president of the Charles Group consulting firm was “in a nutshell to put out of business drug traffickers and terrorists around the world, and that’s what I did, Jonathan.”

Another candidate, Owen McCarthy, has also pledged to eliminate the income tax, but in eight years, rather than four. Candidate David Jones, meanwhile, said “I just don’t see” a way to eliminate the income tax, though he has proposed eliminating property taxes on primary residences and decreasing income taxes.

Several of the candidates said they want to make cuts in the Department of Health and Human Services, eliminate fraud and see potential savings from unfilled positions. Mason also said he would repeal the 2019 Medicaid expansion enacted by Mills.

On questions about housing and childcare affordability, the candidates largely said they would seek to cut regulations. McCarthy advocated for investing in workforce training and speeding up the permitting process, while Ben Midgley also said he would support expedited permitting and would allow for outside consultant reviews to quicken permitting.

Robert Wessels said increasing housing supply “comes down to simplifying and expediting permitting and getting rid of regulations,” while Mason said he wants to work with banks and credit unions to increase access to low-interest mortgages for homebuyers.

Charles has proposed property tax exemptions for seniors and first-time homebuyers and also said the state needs to “stop quality housing being given to illegal aliens.”

A question about whether the candidates would continue supporting Maine’s free community college program drew mixed responses.

Jones said, “No way,” adding that “if you really want to go, you should pay for it.”

McCarthy said the program needs some reforms to ensure students that benefit from it stay in Maine to work, while Midgley said he needs to see more data on the program.

“It’s not that expensive of a budget line item,” Midgley said of the $12.5 million per year program. “But you have to have a significant return on that, so I just need to see more data.”

The candidates were also asked Wednesday night who won the 2020 presidential election. Only Jones and Midgley simply answered Biden.

Charles said he “is a constitutionalist, and there’s no going back in history, Joe Biden.”

Mason said that Biden “was sworn in as president in 2021” and McCarthy said, “unfortunately, Biden.” Robert Wessels said “we need election integrity so we can answer questions like that going forward with a strong answer.”

Bush, meanwhile, joked with the moderators that, “I don’t know why you decided to make us all so sad on the last question.”

“Yeah, Biden won, but we’d like to fix that anytime soon,” he said.