“I think character is how you live your life,” Warren said, later adding, “I have worked hard for 30 years to make the legal system just a little bit fairer for people. I think that is a good test of character.”

Though they agreed to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and not to raise taxes on working class families, Brown and Warren disagreed on how to fix the economy and reform the country’s immigration system. At times, the debate became heated as both candidates fought to address charges leveled against them. “Excuse me, I'm not a student in your classroom, please let me respond,” Brown said during a back and forth about three jobs bills he voted against last fall.

Warren accused Brown of missing out on too many chances to help Massachusetts unemployed by generating jobs and cutting oil subsidies. Warren expressed her own support for the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Plan, which would fill the budget deficit with combined spending cuts and revenue increases. She also said she would support the President’s jobs bill.

Brown countered Warren’s claims, saying the problem’s weighing on the economy had more to do with regulations and taxes than a lack of government spending.

“People are concerned,” Brown said. “They don’t know what’s next...and as a result there are less people hiring.”

The candidates diverged again when discussing the Dream Act, which would grant amnesty to certain illegal immigrants brought into the country as children. Though both agreed there was need for broad immigration policy reform, Brown said he could not support the act.

“I am in favor of full legal immigration,” Brown said. “In terms of the Dream Act, no I don’t support it. It's a form of backdoor amnesty.”

The candidates will meet in central Massachusetts for an Oct. 10 debate in Springfield before finishing their debate schedule in Boston on Oct. 30, just a week ahead of election day.

—Staff writer Nicholas P. Fandos can be reached at nicholasfandos@college.harvard.edu.