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In their first debate, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Sam Granato charged Thursday that Republican Mike Lee is too extreme for Utah as a darling of the tea party and other conservative movements.

But Lee said most Utahns cheer his push to return to constitutionally limited government.

"Utahns have a real opportunity this year to either elect a mainstream candidate or an extreme candidate," Granato said in a town hall style debate taped Thursday at KUED Channel 7, which is scheduled to air Monday at 8 p.m.

Lee, considered the far front-runner in the race, said that his views match Utahns who "are reclaiming their right to constitutionally limited government … We have to focus on limiting the size, scope, reach and power of the federal government."

Constitution Party candidate Scott Bradley said most politicians have "abandoned most constitutional principles," and almost everything the federal government is exceeds powers allowed by the founding document.

Bradley contends both Granato and Lee are too extreme — to the political left.

The three are battling to replace three-term Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who was defeated at this year's state GOP convention. Delegates complained that he was not conservative enough for Utah, even though he has among the most conservative ratings of any senator by special-interest groups.

Granato and Lee disagreed about how to handle illegal immigration, gays in the military, radioactive waste disposal in Utah and how to save Social Security.

On the immigration front, Bradley endorsed rounding up all immigrants here illegally and sending them home. Lee opposed that, but called for tougher enforcement of immigration laws to pressure them to go home.

"If we enforce laws more faithfully," Lee said, "jobs will dry up and they will go home."

Granato called for compassion and development of comprehensive immigration reform.

"I do not believe in ripping families apart," he said. "We need to have compassion as we fix this."

Lee and Bradley also opposed the DREAM Act, which would allow children brought to America by undocumented immigrant parents to qualify for legal residency if they attend and complete college.

"I don't believe we should be offering any benefit to people who come here in violation of our laws," Lee said.

Granato countered that the legislation would help children who have known no country except the United States. "I am fully in favor of the DREAM Act," he said.

Granato attacked Lee for saying during the debate that he will fight to prevent shipment of dangerous foreign materials to Utah — noting that Lee represented EnergySolutions in a lawsuit seeking to allow it to import foreign low-level radioactive waste from Italy.

"Mike, you confuse me," Granato said. "You were hired by [former] Gov. [Jon] Huntsman [Jr.] to keep out EnergySolutions and foreign nuclear waste. After Huntsman left, you went to EnergySolutions … and fought the state to bring it in."

Lee said he disagreed "with every word" of Granato's criticism. He fought high-level radioactive waste, Lee said, but represented EnergySolutions to challenge "the authority of a state to make import decisions."

On Social Security, Lee said Americans must raise the retirement age to save it. Granato said Social Security must be protected, but without that step.

Lee and Bradley supported continuing the "don't ask, don't tell policy" banning gays from openly serving in the military. Granato called for a repeal, saying many gays now serve honorably and the policy is an affront to them.