A Wisconsin Republican candidate aimed to “set the record straight” on his opponents’ accusations of privilege during a Monday night debate, video shows.

Rep. Mike Gallagher responded to criticisms from his opponent Democratic Wisconsin state Rep. Amanda Stuck in a televised debate, telling her that he is proud of his privilege to serve “the greatest country on earth.”

“She has consistently suggested that I’m somehow privileged,” he said of Stuck. “And tonight, I want to set the record straight.”

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“I was privileged to grow up in Northeast Wisconsin, in a family that taught me we are all privileged to be Americans, citizens of the greatest country on Earth, but that we had a duty to serve,” he said.

Gallagher described serving in the Marine Corps and in the United States Congress, calling each of these experiences a “privilege.”

“And therefore, I had the privilege of serving the country that I love in the United States Marine Corps, and the privilege of serving alongside true heroes, young men and women who sacrificed everything to keep us safe,” he said.

WATCH:

“[My opponent] has consistently suggested that I’m somehow privileged. And tonight, I want to set the record straight.

She’s actually right.

I was privileged to grow up in Northeast Wisconsin, in a family that taught me we are all privileged to be Americans.” pic.twitter.com/04wa9jaNYi

— Mike Gallagher (@MikeforWI) October 27, 2020

“And for the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of serving you in Congress, where I’ve provided direct assistance to the unsung heroes: the health care workers and the cops who have been keeping us safe in this pandemic,” Gallagher continued.

“If you give me the privilege of serving you for two more years, I will continue to put country above party, principles ahead of politics, and I will always conduct myself in a way that reflects the true values of Northeast Wisconsin,” he said.