The one-hour exchange between 2nd Congressional candidates took place late Wednesday, but can be seen Friday at 9 p.m. on KUED Channel 7, as part of a series of debates with congressional candidates.

Matheson and Christensen will participate in five other debates, most of which will be televised, as they gear up for the Nov. 7 election.

Christensen said he had compassion for undocumented immigrants in the United States, but he rejected any plan for amnesty. He also discounted any type of temporary worker program because he believes it would become permanent.

"We have a system where we believe in the rule of law," he said.

Christensen also decried the money Mexican nationals send to family members in Mexico.

Matheson approached the issue of illegal immigration from the viewpoint of the small-business owner who has difficulty keeping pace when competitors hire undocumented workers at cheaper wages.

While saying he did not condone law breaking, Matheson pushed for a temporary guest worker program - an idea backed by President Bush - so "everyone is playing by the same rules."

When it came to an audience question about the environment, Christensen attacked practitioners of "extreme environmentalism," whom he blames for blocking expansion of offshore oil production and oil drilling in an Alaskan wilderness preserve.

"We can balance the environment with our needs," he said.

Matheson said any environmental concern should start with a meeting of Utah stakeholders, leaving Congress out of the discussion if possible.

He said one of the main environmental concerns is clean air. He said, if re-elected, he would push for lower-emission cars and more transit. He also favors planning to avoid "uncontrolled sprawl."

Matheson and Christensen agreed that President Bush's No Child Left Behind education law is flawed, but they differed on how to fix it.

Many educators have criticized the strict definition of a highly qualified teacher, which requires teachers to major in the topic they teach. Matheson said the requirement is unrealistic in rural areas with smaller schools. He said he has proposed legislation to rely more on state certification standards.

Christensen, a strong supporter of Bush, said the president was well intentioned when he proposed this education reform bill, but in the process stepped on the state's rights to manage their own education system.

Instead of tweaking No Child Left Behind, he wants it repealed.

"We don't need the federal government in our classrooms," he said.

The cornerstone of Christensen's campaign is keeping Republicans in control of the House. Electing Matheson, he argued, would help Democratic efforts to reclaim the majority and control the agenda.

At one point, he warned that Democratic leaders would support gay marriage, which Christensen helped outlaw in Utah.

Matheson, who is against gay marriage, bristled at Christensen's comments.

"My opponent wants to inject partisanship into every topic," he said.

Matheson, who depicted himself as an independent lawmaker, tried to shift the debate away from congressional leadership back to Utah.

"This election is about who is going to represent you," he said.

mcanham@sltrib.com