Colorado gubernatorial candidates Jared Polis and Walker Stapleton sparred about business issues and the state’s economy Friday morning at a forum sponsored by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and more than a dozen other business organizations.

Denver Business Journal Ed Sealover moderated the 90-minute debate at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center.

It’s the first of eight full-blow confrontations scheduled over the next couple of weeks between Polis, a Democratic congressman from Boulder, and Stapleton, the Republican state treasurer.

> CLICK HERE to watch the debate in its entirety at 9News.com.

While Friday morning’s wrangle was billed as a forum – the candidates answered questions posed by the moderator but didn’t engage in any back-and-forth with each other – both Polis and Stapleton jabbed at their opponent throughout.

Stapleton called Polis and his policy proposals “radical” throughout, while Polis maintained that Stapleton was attacking a cartoon version of Polis, not the entrepreneur with a track record of starting businesses and creating jobs.

The two differed on nearly every point, including the best source of funding for billions in transportation needs – Stapleton is backing a ballot measure to bond road and bridge construction out of the existing state budget, but Polis, arguing that will threaten spending on health care and education, promises to “work with a broad-based coalition to find a dedicated source of revenue” to pay for a wider array of transportation improvements.

Asked what sector of the economy they’ll focus on if elected, Polis said he wants to encourage a start-up culture across the state.

“We have a tremendous creativity of spirit in Colorado and a real spirit of entrepreneurship that we can take to the next level,” he said. “We have an amazing opportunity to grow tomorrow’s great companies here in Colorado.”

Stapleton said he wants to focus on addressing problems involving mental health and homelessness, citing what he called a lack of coordination between the state and local providers.

Noting that two high-schoolers recently committed suicide in his Arapahoe County neighborhood, Stapleton added that the he thinks the state has a “corrections problem” involving “misguided parole policies” that can churn offenders with mental health or addiction issues back onto the street without any assistance.

“By the time they get out after 30 days, they’re ravenous to re-offend,” Stapleton said.

The candidates are also slated to debate Friday at 6 p.m. at a forum sponsored by Denver TV stations KCNC-CBS4 and Colorado Public Television-12, radio stations KOA and KHOW, and the Colorado Sun news website. It will air live at 6 p.m. on CBS4 and at 7 p.m. on CPT12.

And on Saturday, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel newspaper, Colorado Mesa University and Rocky Mountain PBS-Channel 6 are sponsoring a debate in Grand Junction. It’s scheduled to air live on RMPBS and will also stream online.

On Oct. 13, Colorado Politics, The Gazette, Colorado Springs TV station KOAA-News5 and the El Pomar Foundation are sponsoring a debate in Colorado Springs, which will be viewable online. (That event also includes debates by candidates for the other major statewide offices.) CLICK HERE for more information.

> CLICK HERE for the candidates’ full debate schedule.

And check back with ColoradoPolitics.com later for coverage of today’s debates.