NEW YORK — It was a gloves-off, no-holds-barred confrontation because the 4 candidates for the Republican nomination for governor of New York squared off on the CBS2 debate stage on Monday night time.
It had every thing — identify calling, emotional revelations, and calls to combat crime by returning to the reviled coverage of cease, query and frisk. And despite the fact that one of many candidates, Andrew Giuliani, appeared from a distant studio as a consequence of vaccination standing, there have been calls to stay a dagger within the coronary heart of congestion pricing.
And as moderators CBS2’s Marcia Kramer and Maurice Dubois can attest, there was loads of bickering.
“In January of this yr, he requested me to be on his ticket. Now, why is he dishonestly attacking me now? As a result of his marketing campaign is disintegrating,” businessman Harry Wilson mentioned.
“I by no means requested and I would not ask ‘by no means Trumper’ Harry Wilson,” Rep. Lee Zeldin mentioned.
“Do not lie,” Wilson shot again.
“That may be a zero % likelihood, however I would not need you to serve,” Zeldin responded.
“You requested. Cease mendacity,” Wilson continued.
Sure, there was loads of bickering among the many 4 males vying for the Republican gubernatorial nomination — and a complete lot of identify calling.
Wilson returned fireplace after Zeldin known as him a “by no means Trumper.”
“He’ll do something and say something to distract from his horrible document as a Cuomo clone,” Wilson mentioned.
“Sure, he sided with Andrew Cuomo. He was a dependable vote for Andrew Cuomo,” former Westchester County Government Rob Astorino mentioned.
“Fixed lies from ‘by no means Trumper’ Wilson and ‘Rolex Rob,'” Zeldin mentioned.
However the candidates additionally addressed plenty of necessary points, from abortion to crime to the need to prevent congestion pricing from ever raising its head in Manhattan’s Central Business District.
“This yr goes to be the revenge of the traditional individuals and I will inform you why: as a result of congestion pricing is one other again breaker on the typical New Yorker. All this does is it crushes the outer boroughs. It crushes the center class,” Astorino mentioned.
Giuliani mentioned that as governor he would attempt to rehire all the metropolis workers who misplaced their jobs as a result of they refused to get vaccinated, despite the fact that the governor of New York has no energy to power the mayor of New York to rehire metropolis New Yorkers. He mentioned he would put them on the state payroll if he obtained resistance from the mayor.
A variety of the candidates known as for a return to the “damaged home windows” and cease, query and frisk policing.
“Are you saying we should always return to the packages that your father instituted — damaged home windows and cease, query and frisk?” Kramer requested.
“Sure I’m, Marcia, clearly,” Andrew Giuliani mentioned.
Wilson had the emotional second of the talk.
“Has gun violence or crime ever personally impacted your life?” Dubois requested.
“On Thursday night time, my cousin’s father was murdered in his yard and it was by a monster who was out on cashless bail upstate, who had dedicated two assaults in latest weeks,” Wilson mentioned.
And with the Jan. 6 hearings occurring in Washington, the candidates, by and enormous, defended the position of former President Donald Trump.
“President Trump advised his supporters to go peacefully and patriotically to the Capitol and if President Trump needs to run, he ought to run, and I consider he’ll be the Republican nominee and he’ll win,” Zeldin mentioned.
And within the lightning spherical, what we name “in a single phrase,” the candidates had been requested to call a secret talent or expertise.
“Undoubtedly not karaoke,” Giuliani mentioned.
“Individuals do not know I am a black belt, really as soon as gained the world championship in sparing. It is not one thing I’ve ever talked about publicly earlier than,” Zeldin mentioned.
“Blackjack,” Wilson mentioned.
“Yo sera a gubandore por todes New Yorkcanos. I converse Spanish,” Astorino added.
As you noticed, apart from Wilson, all of them had hassle with the idea of answering in only one phrase. However then once more, they’re politicians.
Afterwards, a panel of specialists analyzed the talk with CBS2’s Dick Brennan on CBS News New York.
Bear in mind, early voting runs from June 18-26. Major Election Day is Tuesday, June 28 and polls open at 6 a.m.
