TULSA — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, and his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Andrew Rice of Oklahoma City, sparred for 45 minutes Tuesday night over the economy and the war in Iraq during what could be their only face-to-face debate before the Nov. 4 election.

Inhofe, elected to the Senate in 1994 to fill an unexpired term, boasted his strong ratings from conservative groups and said Oklahomans know what to expect from him.

Rice, elected to the state Senate in 2006, said he would challenge the status quo in Washington and work to help the state’s middle class.

“The middle class of Oklahoma is invisible to Washington,” Rice said during a live debate televised from the studios of KJRH-2.

Rice said he didn’t plan to be a politician and that he would go to Washington “to take political risks” to stand up for Oklahomans.

“I prided myself in working across the aisle,” he said of his tenure so far in the state Senate. “I don’t care about any accolades.”

Inhofe called Rice “a proud liberal” and a committed activist.

“Probably nowhere in the nation is there more of a divergence of philosophy to choose from than the two of us,” Inhofe said.

Rice, 35, said most Oklahomans are worse off economically than they were six years ago.

Inhofe, 73, said up until about six months ago many Oklahomans were better off than when he started his most recent six-year term. He said Oklahoma is in better shape than most states, and that tax cuts he supported played a part in that.

Questions during the debate were asked by a panel of three journalists. Some queries were taken from a studio audience of about 30 people and some questions were selected from about 200 questions sent to the station’s Web site. The Tulsa unit of the League of Women Voters selected audience members.

Inhofe said he didn’t know if this would be the only debate while Rice said he will “keep pushing” for another debate in another part of the state.

Most of the questions during the debate dealt with the nation’s economy and last week’s approval of a $700 billion Wall Street rescue plan.

Inhofe defended his vote against the measure, saying a provision of the bill would require banks and financial institutions, including those in Oklahoma, to be liable for some of that amount if economic conditions don’t improve in five years. He also wanted more information over who would be controlling how the $700 billon would be allocated.

Rice said he would have voted against the measure as well because the plan lacks accountability, doesn’t offer enough taxpayer protection and does nothing to prevent conditions from happening again.

On the war in Iraq, Inhofe said progress is being made mostly because of last year’s surge of additional U.S. troops. Victory could be determined when all 18 provinces are under the control of Iraqi security forces, he said. Right now, 12 are, he said.

Rice disagreed.

“To say Iraq is a success right now … is not true,” he said.

After the debate, Inhofe said he was surprised more questions on foreign policy weren’t asked and that the issues of abortion and traditional marriage weren’t brought up.

Rice said he wasn't surprised the economy dominated questions.