Members of the ISU College Republicans and ISU Democrats squared off in a debate Thursday night in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union to discuss topics ranging from gay marriage to the war in Iraq.

Lori Moorman, sophomore in history, and Clark Richardson, senior in agricultural business, represented the Democrats.

Donald McDowell, president of the ISU College Republicans and junior in political science, and Michael Martz, sophomore in political science, represented the Republicans.

“The United States is definitely not a safer place because of the war in Iraq,” Richardson said.

Richardson also said more Iraqis have died during the war in Iraq than would have died if Saddam Hussein was still in power.

“Iraq is not better off without Saddam,” Richardson said.

McDowell said there is a more important issue than whether U.S. troops should be in Iraq and that turning away now is not the right move.

“Would you rather fight terrorists there in Iraq or here in America?” McDowell asked.

The Republicans and Democrats had differing views on gay marriage.

“It’s not something our government should be regulating,” Moorman said.

She also said every state should support gay marriage.

“Whether or not a state wants to have gay marriage should be decided by the state legislature,” McDowell said.

Martz had a stronger stance. He said Republicans are fundamentally against gay marriage.

The two groups also discussed their differences on the topic of capital punishment.

Martz said he was against the death penalty, but McDowell said there are cases where it is warranted.

“We need to be careful that we are executing people that are beyond a reasonable doubt guilty,” McDowell said.

The moderator for the debate was Eric Lindstrom, senior in political science and president of the ISU Political Science Club.

“We are mainly concerned with motivating political thought,” Lindstrom said.