Democrat Jared Polis and Republican Walker Stapleton pulled no punches during their opening weekend of debates in the Colorado governor’s race, questioning each other’s honesty as much as their social and fiscal policies.

They clashed for the second night in a row Saturday in Grand Junction in the Western Slope’s Rural Colorado Debate, organized by Rocky Mountain PBS, the The Daily Sentinel, and Colorado Mesa University, where the debate was held.

WATCH the debate at the end of this story.

“Walker has misrepresented my plan more than he’s talked about his own,” Polis said about his energy proposals, after Stapleton said Polis would wreck the state’s $32 billion-a-year oil and gas industry.

Polis and Stapleton also quarreled about whether Polis could pay for offering health care to anyone in the state who wants it, and whether Stapleton would kick people off Medicaid by phasing out the Obamacare expansion. Medicaid now covers about 1 in 4 Coloradans.

Both men said they claims against them aren’t true.

“We have a moral obligation for Medicaid, because half of those on Medicaid are kids,” said Stapleton, who said he would make it work better.

Stapleton has said he doesn’t think the state’s Obamacare-related health exchange is sustainable, and he would replace it with public-private partnerships and federal block grants that would give governors more authority to pick workable, affordable public health programs.

“I support making the current system better,” he said.

Polis has tried to push back on the characterization of his Medicare-for-all health care plan as a single-payer system, especially since a ColoradoCare proposal to provide government coverage in the state was beaten nearly 4 to 1 in the 2016 election.

“My plan is the opposite of everything Walker said,” Polis countered.

But Polis hasn’t yet explained how the state can pay for it, other than allude to ways to cut costs for public health, including cleaner air from greener fuel sources.

> RELATED: WATCH: Polis, Stapleton spar in 1st televised debate in governor’s race

Water is a lightning rod issue on the Western Slope, and the candidates laid out their plans regarding it.

Both said more water storage is needed, and Polis talked of exploring other alternatives to dams and reservoirs. Stapleton said water storage depends on the severance taxes paid by the oil and gas industry. He said Polis would drive that industry out of the state.

“You cannot have a water future in Colorado without a collaborative, constructive energy industry that puts Coloradans first,” Stapleton said.

Polis said he would find bipartisan solutions on both.

“Water is not a Republican or a Democratic issue,” he said. “Energy is not a Republican or Democratic issue.”

> RELATED: WATCH: Stapleton, Polis debate at Denver chamber event

Under a direct question from Polis, Stapleton maintained that he personally doesn’t support abortion, but he accepts Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling establishing abortion rights nationwide, as the law of the land. He said the state constitution already bars taxpayer dollars from supporting abortions.

The Grand Junction debate followed a pair of Friday clashes, one in the morning staged by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and an evening debate organized by KCNC-CBS4, Colorado Public Television, KOA and KHOW radio stations and the Colorado Sun website.

> RELATED: Debate update: Stapleton, Polis to square off 8 times in Colo. governor’s race

Two days in a row at the debates, the candidates accused each other of trying to bust the state’s budget. Polis alleged that Stapleton wants to borrow money to pay for transportation, and Stapleton hammered on Polis for not offering any way to fund his many expensive promises.

Polis maintained his commitment to mass transit and greener energy, while Stapleton says his focus is on “roads and bridges, bridges and roads.” Without adequate infrastructure and long-term planning for it, major companies won’t continue bring jobs to Colorado, Stapleton said.

Neither Polis nor Stapleton supports Proposition 110, a campaign led by the Denver Metro Chamber to raise the state sales tax by 0.62 cents to fund transportation improvements, including roads and transit.

Stapleton said he thinks the money for transportation is already in the state budget, enhanced by efficiency and wiser choices by the state highway department.

“The onus and responsibility should be on state government,” Stapleton said of funding roads. “I know we have the dollars in the General Fund, and I put the responsibility in the next governor’s hands to fund the transportation needs that will take Colorado’s economy forward without simply reflexively soaking taxpayers for another tax increase.”

Polis doesn’t think a sales tax is the way to fund transportation, though he does favor a new revenue source, but he hasn’t offered another suggestion on what that source should be.

“I’ll look forward to building a statewide coalition of Republicans, Democrats, the business community, Western Coloradans and rural Coloradans to make sure we can have a cohesive approach to meeting our infrastructure needs for our entire state,” he said.

> RELATED: Stapleton needs strong debates in gov’s race, expert panel says

In Friday night’s debate, Stapleton accused Polis of “trying to snowball voters here; he’s a good salesman. … He’s the all-star captain of debt.”

Polis attacked Stapleton’s characterization of his positions.

“I’m here to tell you what I support,” he said. “Walker is here to attack someone he’s not even running against.”

Stapleton grumbled in response, “Sure, Jared, not you.”

Polis drew applause for his Friday night debate performance from Democratic leaders, but Republicans hammered on his vague details on paying for health care.

“If Polis thinks voters will go along with his pie-in-the sky plans for socialized medicine while refusing to admit it will send tax bills soaring for everyday Coloradans, he is in for a rude awakening this November,” stated Kyle Kohli, the Colorado spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

The Polis camp provided a statement from Gov. John Hickenlooper: “He outlined a positive, innovative vision for moving our state forward, backed up by an incredibly impressive record of turning big ideas into reality, both as a businessman and public servant.”

Polis and Stapleton pair off again Monday at 7 p.m. at that Occhiato Center at Colorado State University-Pueblo in a debate sponsored by The Pueblo Chieftain.

Next Saturday night, all of the statewide candidates will debate in a Colorado Springs event put on by Colorado Politics, The Gazette, KOAA-News5 and the El Pomar Foundation. The debate will be carried live in the Colorado Springs market and streaming on the sponsors’ websites. CLICK HERE for details.

BELOW: Watch Saturday’s debate.

https://youtu.be/g8Ed3yA4q7w?t=597