The candidates looking to replace disgraced Congressman Michael Grimm went head to head on NY1 Tuesday Night during their only live televised debate. NY1's Anthony Pascale filed this report.
The fireworks began before the debate even started.
As Brooklyn City Councilman Vincent Gentile and Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan walked onto the stage, a protestor began shouting the last words of Eric Garner who died in police custody last year: "I can't breathe."
The Eric Garner case was just one thing Donovan and Gentile clashed on as the two candidates for the 11th Congressional District faced off in their first live, televised debate Tuesday night at the College of Staten Island.
Donovan, the Staten Island District Attorney, and Gentile, a New York City Council member, are vying to to fill the 11th Congressional district seat vacated in January by Rep. Michael Grimm after he pled guilty to felony tax fraud charges.
Tuesday's debate began with Gentile attacking Donovan for supporting a judge's decision not to release the grand jury's record of their deliberations in the case of Eric Garner, who died at the hands of police last summer.
"Secrecy breeds suspicion, in this case, in this case, we don't have to worry about revealing the identity of the defendant. Everybody knows it was the police officer so even if we were to release the police officers, have the court and have the DA join us and consent to the release of the police officers testimony," Gentile said.
Donovan responded that grand jury secrecy is necessary to ensure that witnesses will cooperate.
"I think the public policy purposes for the secrecy of our grand jury is something that ought to remain otherwise we won't have anyone willing to testify in a grand jury," Donovan said.
Later in the debate both candidates supported speeding up the rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Sandy, and both said there should be a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents.
What may have been the event's most contentious moment came when Donovan questioned Gentile's clout in the city council, suggesting that he would be ineffective in Congress. Gentile, in response, said that he had brought back $60 million in funding to his district.
In another heated moment, Gentile challenged Donovan to name the current federal minimum wage, but Donovan didn't name the $7.25/hour figure.
Gentile: "The question is what is the federal minimum wage?"
Moderator Errol Louis: "Yes, no?" He's asking you a fact..."
Donovan: "As high as it can be as long as it can be sustained by small businesses."
Donovan later told reporters he misheard the question.
"I didn't know that. I thought he asked me what the minimum wage should go to," Donovan said.
On the topic of national affairs, Gentile said he supported President Obama's framework for a deal with Iran, while Donovan said he did not.
Tuesday's debate was seen live on NY1 and co-sponsored by NY1 and the Staten Island Advance.
NY1 Political Anchor Errol Louis moderated the debate alongside a three-member panel consisting of NY1 political reporter Courtney Gross, Staten Island Advance senior opinion writer Tom Wrobleski and political reporter Rachel Shapiro.