Comptroller debate (D) spotlights split on Mayor Adams, unity on policy

In the first debate for this year’s city Comptroller Democratic primary, Brooklyn City Council Member Justin Brannan sought to close the polling gap between himself and front-runner Mark Levine by launching broadsides against the Manhattan borough president over his stance on Mayor Eric Adams, but the two candidates appeared aligned on most issues.

Throughout the hour-long program, the two candidates, the only ones in the four-way race who qualified for the debate stage, traded barbs over their respective approaches to the scandal-scarred Mayor Adams and how they would take on President Trump. However, there was very little daylight between them on most other topics, ranging from using the city’s pension funds to build affordable housing and auditing the NYPD’s overtime use.

The debate was hosted by Pix11 and the city Campaign Finance Board and was co-sponsored by Schneps Media — the parent company of amNewYork.

The clash followed a Wednesday Emerson College/Pix11/The Hill poll that showed Levine leading with 37% of voters listing him as their first choice, while Brannan trailed with 17%. However, the survey also revealed that 29% of voters are still undecided with the June 24 primary less than a month away.




https://www.amny.com/news/comptroller-debate-spotlights-split-on-mayor-adams-unity-on-policy/