PROVIDENCE -- Don Carcieri and Charlie Fogarty agree that that self-interested politicians and corruption have harmed Rhode Island. But each of the contenders for governor believes his opponent is part of the framework that allowed it to happen.

They said as much last night, before a crowd of 400 at the Providence Marriott, in the first debate of this year's governor's race.

Carcieri, the Republican incumbent, said he has "spent the last 3 1/2 years doing everything I can to challenge the system," while Fogarty, the Democratic two-term lieutenant governor and a former state senator, has been part of the party in power and part of the problem.

Fogarty, in turn, reeled off statistics -- more Rhode Islanders without health insurance, sharp increases in public colleges' tuition, an unemployment rate well above the national average. "Clearly, we need to change direction," he said. "The policies of the past four years have not brought about the change we need."

In competing TV ads and news conferences, the Carcieri and Fogarty campaigns have so far invoked similar themes, with each casting himself as a corruption fighter concerned about economic development. A debate sponsored by the watchdog group Common Cause of Rhode Island was a fitting start to the series, given the campaigns' focus on ethics and anticorruption messages.

But the differences between Carcieri and Fogarty were most apparent on other issues, for instance, voting rights for convicted felons and public financing of political campaigns.

Fogarty supports what will be Question 2 on the Nov. 7 ballot: allowing felons to regain voting rights once they have completed their prison sentences, even if they are still on probation or parole. "The more people who are disenfranchised, the less democratic we become," he said.

Carcieri says felons should not be able to vote again until they have served their full sentences, including parole and probation. While disenfranchisement due to probation or parole might affect certain socioeconomic and racial groups disproportionately, Carcieri said, the solution is not allowing criminals to vote again sooner, but rather, using jobs and education to bring down crime rates.

Fogarty, who is accepting public funds to match private contributions to his campaign, and has agreed to the associated spending limits, says he is "willing to look" at expanding the matching-funds program and work with Common Cause on that issue if elected.

Carcieri, who is not taking the public match and put more than $1 million of his own money into the 2002 campaign, said he "would love to find a way not to have to spend a lot of money" to run for office, but that limiting expenditures creates a system that heavily favors incumbents due to name recognition. "I don't know how you overcome that," he said. "If somebody's got ideas, I'm all ears."

Although strategists from both campaigns said they didn't plan to give much attention to the upcoming casino referendum, moderator Chellie Pingree -- president and CEO of the Common Cause national organization -- made it the very first question, asking the candidates to clarify their positions.

Fogarty has previously said he personally opposes a casino, but supports putting the proposal on the ballot for voters to decide. Last night, he emphasized the first part of that statement, saying it would be "outrageous" to change the state Constitution to allow a Harrah's-Narragansett Indian casino.

"I hope people will join me in voting no," he said.

Carcieri reiterated his oft-voiced vehement opposition to building a casino and to putting this year's proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot, calling the casino "the worst possible thing we could ever do in our state."

Although last night's debate was not broadcast to the public, five future debates between Carcieri and Fogarty will air on TV or radio. The candidates will debate live on FOX 64 (WNAC) Oct. 6 at 8 p.m.; on the Arlene Violet Show, WHJJ radio (920-AM), Oct. 10 at 5 p.m.; and on the Dan Yorke Show, WPRO radio (630-AM), Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. On Oct. 29 at 7 a.m. and again at 1 p.m., Channel 6 (WLNE) will air a Carcieri-Fogarty debate cosponsored by AARP and taped at an earlier date. Channel 10 (WJAR) also plans to air a live debate at a date yet to be confirmed.

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