Edward Markey

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Ed Markey and Republican challenger John Deaton faced off in the final debate before Massachusetts voters head to the polls.

At the debate hosted by WBZ-TV, the two rivals went back and forth on a number of issues, including on health care and affordability.

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"We do have a medical system in crisis," Markey said. "We have to have a system that finally, once and for all, reaches everyone in our nation."

"If you give me one thing to work on when I go to Washington, it will be health care," Deaton said.

Still, the Republican was critical of Markey's health care priorities.

"Medicare for all -- two thirds of the Senate Democrats don't support it," Deaton said. "I've got a real plan that breaks up the three vertically-integrated insurance companies."

The candidates also sparred on energy costs.

Deaton said high utility bills in Massachusetts are "because of these alternative energy mandates."

Markey said that if Deaton is elected, he'll "make it impossible for us to break our dependence upon oil and gas."

Markey and Deaton agreed on a need to establish more guardrails for artificial intelligence.

"Unless we interject some accountability, Donald Trump is just going to have a moral agreement handshake with them," Markey said. "We need a Democratic Senate so we start to have the hearings on this issue."

"We need safeguards," Deaton said. "I'm scared about our seniors, I really am, because our seniors can actually be taken advantage of."

After the debate, both candidates continued to make their pitches to voters.

"If experience could fix Massachusetts, it wouldn't be so broken right now," Deaton said. "I'm here offering an alternative to the status quo."

"We need a Democratic Senate in order to finally provide a check upon Donald Trump," Markey said.

The general election will be held Nov. 3, with early voting beginning on Oct. 17 and running through Oct. 30.