DURHAM, N.C. -- North Carolina's two major-party candidates for governor continued to spar over plans to open the coast to oil and natural gas drilling Tuesday night during the first live televised debate of the general election.

Democrat Beverly Perdue and Republican Pat McCrory faced off in a televised debate hosted by WTVD in Durham.

Perdue, the lieutenant governor, repeatedly said she's in favor of requiring oil companies who hold rights to drill in the Gulf of Mexico to do just that -- or else lose their lease. But when it comes to allowing drilling in North Carolina, she wasn't as explicit.

Should Congress lift the ban on offshore drilling on the Atlantic coast, Perdue said she would wait until researchers study drilling prospects off the coast before supporting it.

"I believe that the reasonable, responsible thing for the governor of this state to do is not make any decision before you bring in a team of engineers and scientists, and you have someone tell you if the technology is there to do offshore drilling off the coast of North Carolina," Perdue said.

McCrory, the seven-term mayor of Charlotte, ripped Perdue for what he said amounted to a change in her position and said he's focused on what can be done off North Carolina's coast, not elsewhere. He said that allowing drilling would boost the state's economy and help the country become less dependent on foreign countries.

"I think that can revitalize and especially bring new jobs to the eastern part of the state," McCrory said.

During the debate, Perdue said the state must improve health care -- specifically mental health care. Patients should be assigned coordinators to help guide them through the system, she said.

But McCrory said he would like to lift some state mandates when it comes to health insurance coverage.

After the debate, McCrory said North Carolinians should be able to pick and choose coverage from a menu of options, instead of being forced to pay for a host of services they don't want.