Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse is seeking a fourth term in the US Senate from Rhode Island

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island is seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

Whitehouse faces Patricia Morgan, a Republican state representative who was the first woman to serve as minority leader in the Rhode Island House. Whitehouse had a huge financial advantage, outselling Morgan almost 25-1.

Whitehouse has long supported efforts to combat climate change and campaigned on a promise to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits. More recently, he has worked to reform the US Supreme Court. He served as United States Attorney and Rhode Island Attorney General before being elected to the Senate in 2006.

Whitehouse said he and fellow Rhode Island representatives helped attract about $200 million in federal funds to replace the Washington Bridge.

“I think (this) shows a congressional delegation that is doing its job,” he said during a debate with Morgan.

Morgan campaigned to close the U.S. border and finish building a wall on the southern border with Mexico. She supports the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. In the debate, she said she opposed a plan pushed by the senator that would help stabilize Social Security funding by raising taxes on people making more than $400,000 a year.

She said the plan would hurt the economy and that officials should instead direct the money away from other things like climate subsidies.

“I will do everything I can to strengthen social security. I think the way is to prioritize it,” she said. “We can’t keep spending money on stupid things.”

Whitehouse said his tax plan targeting higher-income earners would protect the two programs.

“Our tax code right now is not right,” he said. “It’s not fair when billionaires pay lower taxes than teachers.”

During his three terms, Whitehouse authored bipartisan legislation that provides funding to communities, health care workers and law enforcement fighting the deadly opioid overdose crisis and has long supported the Affordable Care Act.