De Blasio On GOP Mayoral Debate: I'll Save An Hour And Not Watch

New York City NY

26 May, 2021

2:59 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio has no interest in watching a debate between the two Republicans looking to succeed him. Hizzoner, during his daily briefing Wednesday, asked how long the debate between Fernando Mateo and Curtis Sliwa would be that night. An hour, a reporter told him. "That's an hour I'm going to save from my life by not watching," he said to laughter. "I am absolutely, positively not watching that debate." New Yorkers other de Blasio have a chance to watch the debate Wednesday at 7 p.m. on NY1, on WNYC or by a livestream hosted by Gothamist. The debate, as New York Times put it, is between two former friends turned bitter rivals who face an uphill battle to wrest the city from Democratic control. Mateo is a prominent businessman and restaurateur hoping to become the city's first Hispanic mayor. Sliwa, who is famous for his red beret and founding the Guardian Angels, has been a feature in the city's public life since the 1970s. Both Mateo and Sliwa back measures that increase police presence in New York City — a sharp turn away from the reform-minded Democratic field. But de Blasio is right — it appears whichever candidate takes the GOP primary on June 22, whether Mateo or Sliwa, would face a difficult path toward victory in November. New York City voters have overwhelmingly voted for Democrats citywide in recent years.