Democratic candidates face off in NY-16 debate

Two Democrats want to represent parts of the Bronx and Westchester in Congress from New York’s 16th Congressional District.

Just days before early voting in the race began, Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Rep. Jamaal Bowman stood on the Spectrum News debate stage Wednesday night for an hour-long debate.

The two men exchanged political positions and sharp remarks.

“He continues to lie about my record and we need to set the record straight tonight,” Bowman said.

“This is my rebuttal, my friend. My rebuttal, not yours,” Latimer said.

A former educator, Bowman first visited Congress in 2021. In Washington, D.C., Bowman aligned himself with progressive lawmakers known as the Squad.

Fellow Democrat Latimer believes the district is ready for change. A longtime elected official in Westchester, Latimer currently serves as county executive. And he drew a stark contrast in the race between his and Bowman’s views on the war between Israel and Hamas.

When asked if there were any circumstances in the war in which the United States should stop providing weapons or aid to Israel, the two candidates had different answers.

“We should not send any more weapons to Israel at this time. They are engaging in collective punishment by killing mainly women, children and babies in Gaza,” Bowman said.

“I believe the path to peace begins with the release of the hostages, the cessation of hostilities, and then humanitarian assistance, which is overseen by a third party, most likely a group of people from the Muslim world,” Latimer said.

On the question of the urban toll, the candidates were pressed to give their opinion.

“If the primary goal of congestion pricing is to fund the MTA, the most logical thing to do is to spend time, energy and effort at the federal government level to get more government help federal government to finance the MTA. » said Latimer.

“The pause is the governor’s decision, but we need to have a broader conversation about climate change and climate justice,” Bowman said.

Bowman recalled the time he pulled a fire alarm before a vote on a housing spending bill last September.

“When it happened, it was an accident. I was in a hurry. I was panicked. I was trying to vote,” he said.

“His excuse about the fire alarm wasn’t true when you saw the video,” Latimer responded.

Latimer said he supports efforts to bring a full-fledged casino to the Empire City site in Yonkers. Meanwhile, Bowman said no.

Spectrum News moderators also asked the candidates to rate Mayor Eric Adams for his leadership in the city on a scale of 1-10.

“Incomplete,” Latimer said.

“Two,” Bowman said.