NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams faced off against his GOP rival Curtis Sliwa in their first mayoral debate against each other Wednesday night.
The debate went all over the map, from questions about vaccine mandates, Rikers Island, congestion pricing, reshaping the city's economy and much more.
As expected, Sliwa and Adams traded personal barbs throughout, as Adams hammered his opponent on fabricating crimes and "buffoonery" while Sliwa continued his attacks on Adams as a political "elite."
With so few registered Republicans, Adams, the 61-year-old Brooklyn borough president, is heavily favored in the race and has raised $9.8 million ahead of the November general election. Sliwa, 67, the founder of the Guardian Angels and media personality, has raised about $2 million.
Both Adams, a former NYPD captain, and Sliwa have made fighting crime a cornerstone of their campaigns as the city battles out of the coronavirus pandemic — but each has divergent approaches to public safety.
Agreements were hard to find in the hourlong program, even on topics the two largely agree on, like NYC's Gifted & Talented program.
Who won? Sliwa felt pretty strongly about his performance.
"I clearly won the debate hands down! On to victory, looking forward to being your next Mayor!" said Sliwa.
Adams didn't call a winner, but said the debated showed "that the stakes couldn't be higher."
The two will meet again next Tuesday in a debate hosted by 1010 WINS, ABC and Univision.
Here are the highlights from the debate:
7:59 p.m.: Adams closes out by hammering Sliwa on his apparent "buffoonery" and "lies," as the two talk over each other as the debate ends.
7:57 p.m.: Sliwa says he would ban carriage horses as mayor; Adams says he would work with workers' union to find "better" way around Central Park.
7:54 p.m.: After plenty of complaints, the candidates are asked to push NYC as a great place to live.
"You will be bored in Florida, you'll never be bored in New York," Adams says of those who left.
Sliwa talks critically about Adams' post-election plans, but then says he would raise the Parks budget.
7:50 p.m.: On alternative transportation options like e-bikes and e-scooters, Adams embraces the modes — but that “they must follow the rules and the laws.”
“It’s crucial that we use alternative methods to move around the city,” he said.
Sliwa says he will send cops out crack down on bicyclists riding on sidewalks, or “speeding” through bike lanes, saying they’re “menaces to society.”
"We have to once again reenergize our police department. They have to do enforcement,” Sliwa said.
7:49 p.m.: Congestion pricing? Adams supports it, but says there should be waivers for those who go in to lower Manhattan for health reasons.
Sliwa says congestion pricing would crush middle class commuters.
“Let’s stop trusting these politicians, like Adams or de Blasio” and says to put the congestion plan up for referendum, says Sliwa.
7:46 p.m.: Adams implores city residents to tell the difference between Sliwa's "facts and lies" while he says he's offering more substance.
7:41 p.m.: On mental health, Sliwa attacks TriveNYC, which is run by Mayor de Blasio’s wife. Adams says he will help the homeless who are mentally ill by partnering with various housing organizations.
7:37 p.m.: Rikers has been a big topic in recent months and is up next.
Adams supports closing Rikers and wants to look at the placing of new jails. He also wants a closer look at helping correction officers, saying they've been "warning us" of the issues that are coming out now. "They are law enforcement officers, also."
Sliwa hits de Blasio over waiting to visit Rikers Island. Said he will stay at the warden's house on the island to supervise the situation, and won't let gang members be housed near each other.
7:33 p.m.: Sliwa said of his fabricated crimes, "I did apologize for it, I’ll continue to apologize for it.” Says while he’s in the streets, Adams is with the “elites” and the “TikTok girls."
Adams answers why he should be trusted -- references his decades of work in NYC, including time as Brooklyn BP.
Sliwa attacks Adams' time away from the city, including claims he vacationed in Monaco.
Adams also wouldn't say how often he stays at his Brooklyn home when asked. "I don't jot down the number of days I'm there," he said.
7:30 p.m.: Who are Sliwa and Adams supporting in the governor's race? Neither answered. Sliwa said "no one at this point" while Adams said he was only focused on running for mayor.
7:28 p.m.: "We should protect our immigrants," Adams says in support of New York as a Sanctuary City.
Sliwa credits ICE for tracking down violent gangs and wants to work with ICE: "We have to have some cooperation with ICE."
7:26 p.m.: Next is the candidates opinions on the "Gifted and Talented" program, which both disagree with de Blasio's handling of.
Sliwa: "We seem to be taking it out on Asian families and southeast Asian families because they're doing so well. We need to expand Gifted and Talented."
Adams doesn’t offer concrete alternative: “We need to look at that exam. I don’t believe a 4-year-old taking the exam should determine the rest of their school experience. That is unacceptable.”
7:23 p.m.: Next up is filling empty offices and “reshaping” the city’s economy.
Sliwa wants to repurpose empty offices into affordable housing, pointing to Hudson Yards as an example.
"You’re never going to be able to use it completely for commercial purposes any longer," he said.
Adams said there needs to be an elimination of “burdens and fines” small businesses face in the city, calling the current NYC “unfriendly” to businesses.
7:19 p.m.: A fight over outdoor dining structures has emerged as winter nears. Adams wants the structures to stay, while Sliwa wants a downsizing.
7:16 p.m.: Sliwa disagrees with the decision to remove the Thomas Jefferson state at City Hall, while Adams thinks it should be removed.
7:11 p.m.: Adams hammers Sliwa on fabricated crimes that he has admitted to, saying, "New Yorkers are going to make a determination for a person who wore a bulletproof vest...and fought crime, against a person who made up crimes so that he can be popular," Adams said. “He made up crimes, New Yorkers. That in itself is a crime."
Sliwa retorted that he did put his body on the line for public safety, noting he was shot five times in what was an assumed mob hit.
Sliwa also slammed Adam's statements that he would carry a gun as mayor, calling it dangerous.
7:10 p.m.: Curtis Sliwa claims Adams ran Andrew Yang out of the Democratic Party.
7:06 p.m.: Adams starts by saying de Blasio’s actions on a vaccine mandate that includes police, firefighters is correct, but would’ve done it differently. Sliwa disagrees, saying there aren’t enough officers as is.
"We cheered them at night at 7. Then all of a sudden we decided...that all of sudden they would lose their jobs? That is a horror," said Sliwa.
A bit of a contentious moment as Adams accuses Sliwa as being absent during the pandemic, to which Sliwa fires back saying there’s “documented evidence” of him on the subways.
7 p.m.: We are underway from Manhattan.
6:45 p.m.: The debate, moderated by NBC 4’s David Ushery, is set to begin at 7 p.m. It’ll be an hour long and will be the first of two meetings between Sliwa and Adams — with the next coming on Oct. 26.