Gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna swung by Issaquah High School’s AP government and politics class Friday to take questions from the many soon to be voters.

The intimate setting allowed students to present a healthy banter of questions for the attorney general on topics that ranged from healthcare to gay marriage.

“He’s the real deal,” said senior Patrick Violette, who asked what McKenna would do with healthcare, if elected. “It’s great that he came down.”

For debate student Karthik Palaniappan, it was a chance to engage a real politician on issues he’s been debating with peers all year.

“It was interesting arguing with someone who really knows what they’re talking about,” he said. “When you get to see the candidates, it’s a whole lot more personal.”

While Palaniappan would probably choose the Democrat candidate, Jay Inslee, if he were old enough to vote in the fall, he was impressed by his discussion.

In addition to taking questions on politics, McKenna described what it was like arguing a case before the Supreme Court. He recalls answering 50-90 questions in 30 minutes, he said. “It’s a pretty intense experience.”

McKenna didn’t argue the Healthcare dispute before the Supreme Court, but was a driving force behind the suite, which is expected to overturn large parts of Obamacare this summer.

McKenna isn’t the first politician to step foot into the classroom. Congressman Dave Reichert also paid them a visit. Reichert, however, was less direct in his answers, Palaniappan recalled.