In what is New York’s most competitive Congressional race, seven democratic candidates vying to replace Congressman Charles Rangel came out swinging during a live debate on NY1 Monday night. Our Bobby Cuza has a recap.
It was a feisty debate from the start, with two of the leading Democratic candidates going after each other for their attendance records in Albany.
"I have shown up, unlike some of the other folks that may have been in Albany, that have not shown up, that have bad voting records," said Assemblyman Keith Wright.
"We did pass ethics reforms, very late at night," shot back Senator Adriano Espaillat. "And party boss Keith Wright was not there to cast that vote."
While Espaillat and Wright traded barbs early, others candidates sought to lump both state lawmakers together, tying them to Albany corruption and dysfunction.
"Funny thing to hear these two talk about money and reforming the money process when they're both in the pockets of every landlord and every slumlord in this congressional district," said former City Councilman and Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV.
"Senator Espaillat can say that, on the last day, in the middle of the night that they passed legislation but nobody knows, because there were no hearings, no public events," said candidate Michael Gallagher.
"They want to come up here tonight when they are running for Congress, like the first time they have these great ideas," said Clyde Williams, a former advisor to President Bill Clinton. "If that such great ideas they should have introduced them, and made sure they got passed."
Before a sometimes raucous crowd, the Democratic candidates tackled topics from gentrification to racial politics.
"The past elections have been run on race and ethnicity," said Suzan Johnson Cook. "And I think it takes a woman to be a bridge builder."
Wright had to defend his record as Assembly housing chair and Espaillat mixed it up with Assemblyman Guillermo Linares for his support of a Pathmark supermarket.
"The property was sold under the dark of night to a developer," Espaillat said.
"Go and ask the people in East Harlem and Central Harlem, that had a place to go buy vegetables, where can they go now," Linares said.
During a lightning round, most candidates said marijuana should be legalized, and Rikers Island closed — as for a political role model, only Wright pointed to current Congressman Charles Rangel, who's retiring after a 46-year career and has endorsed Wright.
Monday’s debate Hostos Community College, co-sponsored by City & State magazine and the Latino Leadership Institute, comes barely a week before voters go the polls next Tuesday, June 28 in what’s expected to be an extremely low-turnout Congressional primary.