DOWNTOWN PUNTA GORDA — It began as a sprint between incumbent District 1 Charlotte County Commissioner Bob Starr and his Republican Primary Election contender Ken Doherty, and it ended as a marathon three and a half hours later with biting, back-and-forth jousting among the incumbent and the other candidates in the rough-and-tumble campaign for the county’s supervisor of elections post.

It was the first of two rounds of Debate 2012 among contenders for county and School Board offices. It was held Thursday night in the courtroom of the Historic Charlotte County Courthouse, broadcast live on News Radio 1580 WCCF, and streamed online at www.wccfam.com.