LOWELL, Mass--Acting Governor A. Paul Cellucci and Attorney General L. Scott Harshbarger '64 squared off in the first debate of the gubernatorial campaign last nigh before a boisterous crowd in this former mill town.

Supporters, including several members of the Harvard College Democrats, waved partisan signs for their candidate and lined the street leading to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

In a typical Democratic-Republican face-off, Harshbarger portrayed Cellucci as a callous conservative who would not raise taxes even to provide health care for children, while Cellucci in turn characterized Harshbarger as a tax-and-spend liberal who would be fiscally irresponsible.

Harshbarger is trailing Cellucci by 11 percent in the polls, according to a survey taken last week by the Boston Herald and WCVB-TV Ch. 5. Currently 48 percent of voters support Cellucci, while 37 percent back Harshbarger.

Early on in the debate, Harshbarger took the offensive, accusing Cellucci of not standing by his convictions.

"This election is about one thing--trust. He's flip-flopped on almost every major issue," Harshbarger said.

Cellucci responded, "Scott has press releases; I have results."

The format of the hour-long debate containedtwo parts. In the first half-hour, eight randomlychosen citizens asked questions via videotape andthe candidates were given a minute to respond. Afive-member panel of reporters then askedfollow-up questions.

In the second segment, the questions camesolely from the media panel.

Although citizens asked numerous questionsabout the state's infrastructure, frequent trafficcongestion, affordable housing and day care, thedebate was rife with repeated one-liners andsparse with specifics on issues.

At several points in the night, Cellucci andHarshbarger went back and forth in verbal sparringmatches.

One such encounter started out when Cellucciattempted to defend his record.

"I vetoed the convention center because Ipromised not to raise taxes," he said.

Harshbarger: "Would you veto the conventioncenter again?"

Cellucci: "If it raised taxes I would."

Harshbarger: "Tell that to the businesspeople."