PORTLAND — A day after the first debate in the race for Maine governor, the candidates are back at it.

Republican Gov. Paul LePage, Democrat Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler are meeting for a Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce debate this morning. The event, which will focus on economic and business issues, is being held at Thomas College in Waterville.

On Wednesday, trading jabs in a debate that almost didn’t happen, the three gubernatorial candidates squared off in a spirited discussion of health care, minimum wage and the state’s struggling paper industry.

Over the course of the hour-long debate, LePage faced tough criticism from Michaud and Cutler over his decisions to cut municipal revenue sharing and reject the Medicaid expansion under the federal health care law.

Meanwhile, LePage continued to paint himself as businessman instead of a “polished politician,” acknowledging his tendency to put his foot in his mouth, but suggesting he has learned from his mistakes.

“Even a Frenchman can be taught to cool down,” he said to laughs.

Cutler and Michaud agreed that LePage’s decision not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would hurt the bottom line of Maine hospitals that just got paid $400 million long-owed to them by the state.

Calling it “one of the worst decisions that LePage has made,” Cutler said the governor’s rejection of the federal dollars means that “every hospital in the state of Maine is either back in the red or on the way to go back in the red.”

The three candidates also disagreed on the impact of raising the minimum wage in Maine.

Michaud pledged if elected to incrementally raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.50 to $9, arguing that putting more money into the pockets of employees will benefit businesses and the state’s economy.

LePage, who vetoed a minimum wage hike last year, said Maine could increase its wage if the rest of the country does, but that going at it alone would hurt businesses’ ability to compete and add to Maine’s reputation as an “outlier.”

Both he and Cutler, who supports a federal minimum wage hike, said the state should be focused on attracting high-wage jobs.

“I am so tired of hearing minimum wage,” LePage said. “How about $25 an hour jobs, $40 an hour jobs, $50 an hour jobs. That’s the jobs I’m going after. Minimum wage? I’ll leave that to my opponents.”

The debate ”“ which also touched on their plans to aid the manufacturing sector, improve the University of Maine System and address the state’s demographic challenges ”“ was spirited, yet civil.

Cutler, who’s trailing in the polls, worked to portray himself as the only candidate who not only has ideas for how to fix things like the state’s education system ”“ but has a plan for how to pay for it.

“A governor and anyone running for governor has a responsibility not only to figure out what he wants to do but to demonstrate the leadership that says how is going to do it,” Cutler said.

Meanwhile, Michaud continued his attempt to paint LePage as a divisive leader who’s holding the state back.

“People are fed up,” the six-term congressman said. “They are tired of the divisiveness, partisanship and failed policy of this administration,” he said.

LePage, Michaud and Cutler are scheduled to meet for three more debates this month.