U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Democratic primary challenger, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, faced off Monday night as Morse tries to unseat the longtime incumbent.

The race has been marked by allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with students by Morse when he was an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The 31-year-old Democratic mayor, who is gay, has maintained his relationships with college students were consensual.

During Monday's debate, much of the talk was instead about policy. Morse criticized Neal for accepting money from interest groups. Neal faulted Morse for saying he would have voted against the CARES Act.