BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — Monday night’s debate at Union College in Barbourville pit two of the leading contenders in the Republican’s U.S. Senate primary race: Current Secretary of State Trey Grayson and eye surgeon Dr. Rand Paul.

The event was held at the Conway Boatman Chapel and about 200 people attended. The Chambers of Commerce for Bell, Knox, Laurel, and Southern Kentucky sponsored the event.

Questions posed from a selection of moderators representing regional media outlets ranged from coal to healthcare to the area drug problem.

Candidates included Gurley L. Martin, Rand Paul, Jon J. Scribner, Grayson, and John Stephenson.

Front-runners Grayson and Paul, though, squared off in the debate and on more than one occasion called each other out.

Grayson repeated a claim at the Monday evening debate that he has made in television attack ads — that Paul wants to release terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay back to their home countries. Paul again denied that claim, saying he wants the Cuban prison to remain open and to have the prisoners tried before military tribunals.

The editor of the Times-Tribune Samantha Swindler asked the candidates what role they thought mountaintop removal would play in the future of Appalachia, considering scientific reports about its environmental impact.

Paul strongly criticized the Environmental Protection Agency saying they were making their own laws.

"The EPA is out of control," said Paul. "Where do they get the authority to be a lawmaking body?"

Martin, who arrived late to the meeting citing his unfamiliarity of the college, took a firm stance for the controversial mining method: “Mountaintop removal is the business of the people who own the mountaintops. The federal government needs to butt out."

“We should take advantage of (coal) and use common sense regulations,” said Stephenson, but never addressed mountaintop removal specifically.

They also responded to a question from Josh Wilkey, owner of Middlesboro’s WFXY, regarding the recent passage of healthcare.

“It didn’t address the underlying problem of the costs that are spiraling out of control in healthcare,” said Grayson. He said that the costs of healthcare should be controlled by increasing competition between insurance companies.

“I would like to repeal it,” said Paul. “If that’s not possible, I would like to defund it. I call on Jack Conway our Attorney General to sue over its constitutionality.”

“This is the first time we will mandate purchasing something in our country,” continued Paul.

Paul echoed similar sentiments of Grayson to reduce healthcare costs. “We need more competition in healthcare,” Paul said.

Grayson has garnered endorsements from GOP leaders, including former Vice President Dick Cheney. Paul, a Bowling Green eye surgeon who campaigned as a political outsider, picked up key endorsements of his own, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes. Paul is the son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.Information from the Associated Press included in this article.