In the general election, Shaw faced-off against Palm Beach Town Council President Hermine Wiener, a Democrat who left the Republican Party about a year earlier. Wiener did not receive a challenger for the Democratic nomination. Throughout the year, she raised $216,596 and vowed to spend as much as $1 million, if necessary. Shaw signed the Contract with America and specifically promised to reform welfare during the next congress. On October 25, the League of Women Voters hosted a debate between the two candidates at the Broward County Main Library in Fort Lauderdale. Shaw was endorsed by "The News", a Boca Raton-based newspaper, and the "Sun-Sentinel". The former cited Wiener's lack of specifics on key issues such as health care and immigration as their rationale for favoring Shaw. However, "The News" also stated that Shaw "hasn't paid enough attention to his new constituents." The "Sun-Sentinel" praised Shaw for his positions on various issues, and remarked that "is an intelligent, hard-working congressman who has shown effectiveness and leadership ability while maintaining a high level of integrity during his entire political career."