Few Illinois congressional districts are as hotly contested as the 11th District in Chicago’s south suburbs.

And today, the two candidates met in their first debate.

Democrat John Pavich attacked his opponent’s support of the Iraq war.

“The decision to go to war in Iraq has certainly distracted us from other hot spots around the world,” Pavich says. “This administration went to war against a member of the so-called axis of evil. Now it appears that that was the one member of the axis of evil that did not have weapons of mass destruction.”

Republican incumbent Jerry Weller went after Pavich for his immigration policy.

“John Pavich told The Chicago Tribune he would vote for amnesty for illegals and John Pavich promised he would vote for social security for illegals,” Weller says.

The WCMY radio debate is the only scheduled meeting between the two candidates.