Metropolis Comptroller candidates Justin Brannan (left) and Mark Levine spar over approaches to Mayor Eric Adams through the first debate of the Democratic main.
Screenshot courtesy of Pix11
Within the first debate for this yr’s metropolis Comptroller Democratic main, Brooklyn Metropolis Council Member Justin Brannan sought to shut the polling hole between himself and front-runner Mark Levine by launching broadsides in opposition to the Manhattan borough president over his stance on Mayor Eric Adams, however the two candidates appeared aligned on most points.
All through the hour-long program, the 2 candidates, the one ones within the four-way race who certified for the talk stage, traded barbs over their respective approaches to the scandal-scarred Mayor Adams and the way they’d tackle President Trump. Nevertheless, there was little or no daylight between them on most different matters, starting from utilizing the town’s pension funds to construct reasonably priced housing and auditing the NYPD’s additional time use.
The talk was hosted by Pix11 and the town Marketing campaign Finance Board and was co-sponsored by Schneps Media — the mum or dad firm of New York News.
The conflict adopted a Wednesday Emerson School/Pix11/The Hill ballot that confirmed Levine main with 37% of voters itemizing him as their first alternative, whereas Brannan trailed with 17%. Nevertheless, the survey additionally revealed that 29% of voters are nonetheless undecided with the June 24 main lower than a month away.
Whereas comptroller is an important citywide place charged with managing the Huge Apple’s 5 municipal pension funds, auditing metropolis businesses’ spending and efficiency, and offering oversight of the town funds, it’s not well-known to most New Yorkers. This yr’s heated comptroller main has largely been overshadowed by the crowded mayor’s race, wherein present Comptroller Brad Lander is taking part.
Close to the outset of the talk, Brannan — a combative pol from southern Brooklyn — painted himself as the one candidate with the “guts” to face as much as Trump due to his expertise tangling with Adams. He argues that’s one thing Levine has not completed.
“I’m the only one in this race that has spoken up and fought against this mayor,” Brannan mentioned. “We need a fighter in this moment, Donald Trump is coming for us, New York City is in his crosshairs.”
Brannan invoked his three plus years as council Finance Chair, the place he has fought Adams’ deep funds cuts. He additionally pointed to his personal name for the mayor to resign after being federally indicted in September. On the similar time, Brannan contended “Mark Levine was nowhere to be found” each after Adams was charged and when the Trump Justice Division moved to dismiss the case in what many view as a quid-pro-quo between prime DOJ officers and Adams’ attorneys.
“If you can’t even stand up to Eric Adams, how are you going to stand up to Donald Trump?” Brannan requested.
Levine did situation a submit on social media the day after Adams was indicted saying he “needs to seriously consider” staying in his place however has not explicitly referred to as on him to step down.
The Manhattan beep, who has a extra reserved type, tried to get forward of Brannan’s essential line of assault early on, outlining a number of occasions the place he feels he did criticize Adams.
“I stood up to Eric Adams again and again and again,” Levine mentioned. “I’ve taken him on, on COVID, on his rhetoric on migrants, on his cuts to parks. I’ve called him out for his corruption. I’ve sounded the alarm when he was compromised by Trump. I have took on this mayor, and I will take on the next mayor.”
Levine additionally sought to show the tables on Brannan by highlighting the council member’s previous political alliance with Adams. The borough president referenced Brannan endorsing Adams’ first run for Metropolis Corridor in 2021 and receiving the mayor’s backing throughout his personal robust re-election battle in opposition to a Republican challenger — former Council Member Ari Kagan — in 2023.
“There’s only one person on this stage who endorsed Eric Adams for mayor, who campaigned passionately for him, who sought his endorsement for re-election, who received his endorsement for re-election, that is the council member,” Levine mentioned. “It’s not me.”
For his half, Brannan did personal supporting Adams in 2021, however once more pointed to his more moderen requires the mayor to step down.
There was additionally disagreement between the candidates over methods to counter looming social safety-net cuts, to applications like Medicaid and meals help, by Trump and Congressional Republicans.
Levine highlighted his name so as to add $2 billion to the town’s reserves within the funds for the upcoming fiscal yr, which is at the moment being negotiating between Adams’ administration and the council, as a “buffer” to guard metropolis providers if and when Trump’s cuts come down. Brannan, a key determine in shaping the town funds, has argued that the town’s present degree of $8.5 billion in reserves is sufficient to climate a coming storm from Washington.
As a substitute, Brannan mentioned he’s ready to pursue authorized motion in opposition to the Trump administration.
“If they come for our money, you got to be ready to sue back and meet that urgency,” Brannan mentioned.
Nevertheless, the candidates shared related stances on most different coverage points that the moderators requested about.
Each agreed that to maintain Lander’s plan to sue Tesla — Elon Musk’s electrical automobile maker — and divest the town’s pension funds from the corporate; use the pension funds as a financing device for reasonably priced housing development; audit the town Division of Training’s use of outdoor consultants; audit the NYPD’s reliance on additional time that usually blows previous its budgeted quantity; and make investments extra metropolis {dollars} in constructing supportive housing for these with extreme psychological sickness.
