SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah's Republican U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch touted his 30 years of experience in the Senate on Tuesday during his final debate with Democratic challenger Pete Ashdown, who chided Hatch for staying in office too long and using his seniority ineffectively.

One week before the election, Ashdown criticized Hatch for not questioning the intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq, failing to provide universal health care and for not having a solution to reform the nation's immigration laws.

"Our ports and borders are no more secure today than they were on 9/11," Ashdown said.

Hatch dismissed the notion that he's accomplished little during his five terms. He repeatedly referred to a wide range of legislation he helped shepherd through Congress, including increasing the number of border patrol agents.

Ashdown isn't expected to pose a serious threat to Hatch. Unlike other parts of the country, Republican incumbents here aren't facing problems over the war in Iraq and Hatch's support is running high.

In a poll of 922 registered voters conducted Sept. 25-28 for the Deseret Morning News, 62 percent said they would vote for Hatch while 25 percent said they would choose Ashdown. The error margin was 3 percentage points.

"We have not had a major terrorist incident since 9/11 and there's a reason for it. The reason is we're taking it to them in Afghanistan and Iraq," Hatch said.

Ashdown said he opposed the war in Iraq, and now that Saddam Hussein is gone he believes Iraqis should vote on when American forces should leave.

"The people who have to deal with this on a daily basis are the Iraqi people. We should ask the Iraqis what they want to do," Ashdown said.

Ashdown has had a difficult time spreading his message. Campaign finance reports due Sept. 30 showed he had a little more than $14,000 in cash on hand to spend. Hatch had about $2.8 million and only recently started running television commercials.

On Sunday, Hatch picked up an endorsement from The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's largest newspaper.

For months Ashdown has complained that incumbents have an unfair fundraising advantage and says candidates should be required to share their money so everyone has an equal opportunity to get their ideas across. He has also said he would push to eliminate the Senate's seniority system, which rewards long-serving incumbents with choice committee assignments.

Hatch says the seniority system is a reality and one of the reasons he should be put back in office. If re-elected, Hatch would likely be named the ranking Republican on the influential Senate Finance Committee, which sets tax, trade and health policy.

Utah's junior senator, Republican Bob Bennett, could also become chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, he said.

"Utah's never had that type of opportunity before and I intend to live up to it," Hatch said.

That prospect disturbs Ashdown, who said if that happens "there will be an attorney and a silver spoon in charge of the nation's finances."

Ashdown is also concerned about the role Hatch could play in health policy.

Hatch doesn't believe in providing "one size fits all" universal health care but said he's in a position to advocate for other health policies, such as embryonic stem cell research that could prevent disease. He said he would do everything in his power to improve the nation's health care system. Ashdown, who favors one health care program for all Americans, said it's too late.

"I think 30 years is enough to resolve the problems with health care," he said.