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New York, NY (77WABC) — With early voting for primaries scheduled to begin on Saturday, the top five Democratic candidates for New York City Mayor battled during a debate on Thursday evening.
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, former New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, Businessman Andrew Yang, and former Senior Counsel to Mayor de Blasio Mya Wiley were all on-hand for the third sanctioned debate by the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
Eric Adams, who initially decided to skip the debate, in order to attend the vigil of a 10-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Far Rockaway last Saturday, also was on the stage in a last-minute change.
The Brooklyn Borough President continues to maintain a sizeable lead, according to the latest polls, between 21 and 23-percent. The first question of the debate — was to address Borough President Adam’s latest controversy on whether he lives in Brooklyn. Andrew Yang was the first candidate to immediately go after the front-runner, criticizing Eric Adams in regards to the scandal surrounding a New Jersey home he allegedly was living in.
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“He spent months attacking me for not being a New Yorker. Meanwhile, he was attacking me from New Jersey,” Yang said. Adams responded by saying, “he does live in Bedford-Stuyvesant and gave a tour to the media to prove his residency.”
On the issue of crime, all candidates were emphatic about safety being the number one priority to get the economic recovery of New York City back to pre-pandemic days. All of the top 5 candidates, criticized Mayor de Blasio’s handling of the police department and the surge in crime that has blanketed the city.
Mya Wiley was specifically asked by the moderators whether she would take away guns from cops — replicating the practice conducted in just under two dozen countries. Wiley responded by saying, “I am not prepared to make that decision in a debate. I am going to have a civilian commissioner and a civilian commission that is gonna hold the police accountable and make sure we’re safe from crime but also from police violence.”
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer was on the attack as well, comparing an Andrew Yang administration to another four years of Mayor de Blasio policies. Stringer kept touting his more than 30 years experience in public office and experience as the city’s chief auditor, as to why he would be the best to serve as the next mayor. However, he was asked about the latest sexual misconduct allegation made against him last week.
“Thirty years ago, I cannot tell you exactly where those allegations come from, but I can tell you, and I mean this, if there’s in any way I’ve made anyone in my entire life uncomfortable, I certainly apologize for that, but that quote was a misquote and it was unfortunate that the quote wasn’t right,” Stringer said.
Kathryn Garcia was one of the three candidates who says she would support congestion pricing here in New York City. The former sanitation commissioner also stated mental illness and homelessness are all contributing factors to anti-hate crime attacks and increased overall crime.
All five candidates did agree on protecting non-smokers from second-hand marijuana smoke changing the names of streets, buildings, and schools named for slaveholders. None of the candidates said they support requiring license plates on bicycles in an effort to catch cyclists who disobey traffic laws.
