The candidates for U.S. Senate met in an often contentious debate that focused on the country's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign policy and the Supreme Court.>> Download the FREE WMUR appDemocratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and her Republican challenger, Corky Messner, sparred often in the debate Tuesday on WMUR-TV, with Messner trying to portray his opponent as an ineffective Washington insider while Shaheen sought to tie him to President Donald Trump.** Watch video of the FULL debate **Much of the debate focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. Both candidates said that people should follow guidance from scientists to best protect themselves from the coronavirus, but Shaheen criticized Messner for not always following best practices."Unfortunately, my opponent, while he says follow the science, if you listen to what he said throughout his campaign, he questioned mask-wearing during the primary. He said that hospitals weren't in urgent need of funding. He has suggested to his supporters that they not follow Gov. (Chris) Sununu's stay-at-home order," Shaheen said. "We need to be consistent. We need to let people know we can get through this if we work together.">> VIEW POST-DEBATE Q&A: Corky Messner (Jeanne Shaheen declined to take part in a post-debate interview with WMUR)The two differed in how the federal government should handle relief and stimulus funds. Shaheen said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been blocking needed aid packages for weeks."We need Mitch McConnell to come to the table. We need to work to get a new package done, just like we did with the CARES Act," Shaheen said. "I was really proud of the bipartisan work on that package that passed 96-0. As part of that, we were able to get $1.25 billion for New Hampshire, extended unemployment benefits, help for hospitals and frontline health care workers, help for communities, and the PPP program -- double the amount of money that was first proposed."WATCH THE FULL DEBATE:View the full debate videoWATCH THE DEBATE BY TOPIC:How will NH get through COVID-19 crisis?Coronavirus relief moneyWhat should be done for people earning less during COVID? Fear of COVID-19 and whether another shutdown is neededShould NH hospitals get continued direct aid after pandemic ends? Preparing for the next pandemic How to help the economy recover from COVID-19Changes to tax policy they would make, if any Lightning round: Favorite spot on the Kanc, political heroes Supreme Court confirmation process Strengthening national security against threats from China U.S. troop presence in Middle East Future of country's health care systemPerson who left lasting impression on candidate during campaign Closing statementsBut Messner said the Senate should have been working on smaller, targeted aid packages to help people and businesses more as quickly as possible."We must target who needs help and provide the help to those who are in need," Messner said. "And not this blanket approach that the Democrats want to take and just spend trillions and trillions of dollars to bail out California. We here in New Hampshire should not be bailing out California for their mismanagement prior to COVID."Shaheen said a larger aid package is needed to adequately address the problem."My opponent back in April said there was no urgent need for funding for hospitals. Now, he wants to support a package that has been on the floor in the Senate that would have no funding to help hospitals, no funding to help health care workers, a limited amount of money to help testing and contact tracing. That's not the help we need," Shaheen said. "We heard from Jay Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, last week. He said we need a big package that helps all of those people who are hurting get through this pandemic."Messner accused the Obama administration of not doing enough to prepare the country for a pandemic after the H1N1 pandemic or the Ebola epidemic."The institutions of government did not learn from the H1N1 pandemic in 2010," Messner said. "And anyone in the U.S. Senate at that time, including Sen. Shaheen, needs to be voted out of office, because the institutions of government were not prepared."Shaheen countered that the Trump administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to more than 2 million cases in the country and more than 220,000 deaths so far. She said the Obama administration put in place teams to try to detect potential pandemics before they spread."What we need to do is to put back in place the national security team that the Trump administration disassembled that can look for those kinds of threats when they're happening around the world," Shaheen said.VIEW POST-DEBATE Q&A:Corky Messner on whether he reached voters, how to handle pandemic * Jeanne Shaheen declined to take part in a post-debate interview with WMUR *The debate became contentious at several points when each candidate accused the other of taking their words out of context or misrepresenting what they said. Shaheen said Messner defended Trump when he implied that injecting disinfectant might be a way to treat the coronavirus. Messner said at the time that he thought the president was being "aspirational" in illustrating ways to think about treatments.Messner later accused Shaheen of minimizing the deaths of American troops in Syria, after Trump decided to withdraw American forces. Shaheen said she would never say anything like that.>> RELATED STORY: NH roots, COVID-19 funding, health care in focus in hard-fought US Senate raceThe debate also got heated when the candidates discussed Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Shaheen said the president should be nominating justices who more closely represent the mainstream of American opinions. She specifically cited Judge Amy Coney Barrett's opposition to the Affordable Care Act and abortion rights.Messner said Shaheen could have codified abortion rights into federal law by voting for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. He drew an outraged response from Shaheen when he said her opposition to the bill amounted to support for "passive infanticide.""The legislation that he's talking about would have put into law what is already illegal, and that is infanticide. But it would have gone beyond that. It would have jailed doctors who would perform abortions," Shaheen said. "Again, that's what my opponent supports. That's outside of the mainstream of New Hampshire values."Messner said he would have supported Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, getting a vote on the floor of the Senate.