Pennsylvania Senate candidates Republican Pat Toomey, left, and Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., participate in a debate Wednesday night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA — Candidates in Pennsylvania's closely contested race for U.S. Senate jousted over bailouts, terrorist trials and Social Security in their first debate Wednesday while accusing each other of dishonesty and being beholden to big backers.

Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey also dodged questions in the hourlong debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia while trying to portray the other as reckless, extreme and responsible for a stagnant economy that's left Pennsylvania with fewer jobs than it had in 1999.

Toomey often brought up his background in business — he traded currency and interest rate swaps at banks in New York and started a restaurant chain. Sestak, a retired Navy admiral, recalled his 31 years in the service, which included commanding an aircraft carrier group in war after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The men — ideological opposites — also relentlessly assailed the other's record in Congress: Sestak's votes for spending increases, Toomey's for corporate favoritism.

Sestak contended that Toomey's support for a plan to allow Social Security payroll taxes to be invested in private accounts would endanger America's retirement security while benefiting Wall Street and borrowing money to support the shift. Toomey said his plan would protect the benefits of older Americans, yield no profits for brokers and save a retirement system that is going broke.

"Joe has no solutions for the big problems that we face. Instead, it's mischaracterize, dishonest attacks, and if he gets close to a solution, it's always the same: Raise taxes," Toomey said.

Toomey faulted Sestak for supporting bailouts but offered no answer to a question about what would have happened to the economy and jobs without the recession-driven bailouts of banks and two U.S. automakers.