DEVENS - Republican state Rep. Robert Hargraves and his Democratic challenger, Virginia Wood, clashed Monday night over earmarks in the debate held at the Devens Common Center.

[img_assist|nid=1453|title=Virginia Wood (D-Groton)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=134|height=158]After stating the he opposes Question 1, Hargraves, of Groton, said that he does support removing earmarks from the state budget. Earmarks, he said, drive the state's budget up.

Wood, also of Groton, took issue with Hargraves' blanket opposition to earmarks.

"We're not talking the federal government, and we're not talking about bridges to nowhere," Wood said. "We're talking about bridges in Pepperell. This is a local issue; this is how local towns and cities get their aid. He's philosophically thrown away earmarks and that has hurt our district."

[img_assist|nid=1454|title=State Rep. Robert Hargraves (R-Groton)|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=150|height=150]Moment later, Hargraves disputed that definition of earmarks and sought to correct Wood's remarks.

"Those bridges in the district are not earmarks," he said. "Not one dime that I brought back except for the dam in West Groton and the $300,000 for the weeds in the Nashua River. Those are earmarks the rest are not. And you stand to be corrected, young lady."