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Differences on abortion rights, stem cell research and even the veracity of evolution became evident this month among the Republican presidential candidates in their first major debate.

While Democratic hopefuls—who held their first debate earlier—mainly steered clear of these controversial social issues, the GOP candidates dove into the issues most important to their conservative religious base. The May 3 debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, revealed one of the most ideologically diverse Republican fields in years.