Matt Weir / The Collegian

Saturday’s historical gubernatorial debate, the first to be broadcast in Spanish, only furthered the tension in the race between Republican nominee Meg Whitman and Democratic pick Jerry Brown, a race already riddled with hostility.

During the debate, Brown accused Whitman of defaming the character of her former housekeeper Nicky Diaz, an undocumented employee from Mexico. News of the former eBay executive hiring an illegal immigrant caused a stir among Brown’s campaign and supporters.

The Whitman housekeeper scandal was just one of many at the debate, including higher education, the water crisis and border control. While both candidates expressed their stances on restoring funding to public education, many students felt neither candidate took a strong enough stand.

“They need to make their plans more specific,” said Los Angeles Community College student Stephanie Romero.

Matt Weir / The Collegian

Despite audio system difficulties and tough questions from students, the debate met with approval in the eyes of school administrators.

“I thought it was an excellent debate,” John Welty, President of Fresno State. “I thought the responses were clear and did articulate the difference between the candidates.”

The debate was hosted in the Satellite Student Union on the Fresno State campus and is broadcast exclusively by Univision, the Spanish-language news channel. The debate will air at 4 p.m. after the candidate’s answers are translated into Spanish.