Democratic gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout faced off in a radio debate against Republican Rob Astorino on Thursday, five days before her Democratic Party primary against incumbent Andrew Cuomo, who has refused to debate her.
The debate was broadcast on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on Manhattan”™s WNYC, with Teachout and Astorino, Westchester’s county executive, taking the opportunity to slam the absent Cuomo, who is heavily favored despite being the focus of a recent ethics scandal.
Both candidates said they believed the governor was corrupt for his handling of an ethics panel he allegedly hobbled, then disbanded prematurely. Teachout said Astorino”™s and Cuomo”™s economic development policies were Reagan-esque trickledown policies.
“It”™s an area in which Andrew Cuomo is really more of a Republican than a Democrat,” Teachout, a Fordham University law professor, said. She called Cuomo “the tax giveaway governor.”
Cuomo is the heavy favorite in both the Tuesday primary and the general election in November, with $35 million in the bank and leads in the polls. His primary campaign strategy has been to keep a low profile, not holding any campaign events and barely acknowledging the race publicly. The strategy could pay off for the incumbent, who would elevate the profile of his lesser-known challengers by engaging them directly.
Radio host Lehrer acknowledged that on the air. “For my part and WNYC”™s part, we are looking past the politics of the candidates”™ interests,” he said. “We just think it”™s a great opportunity for an unusual and probably productive New York conversation.”
At one point during the 40-minute debate, Lehrer played a clip of Cuomo responding to a reporter’s question about refusing to debate. Cuomo said debates were not necessarily pro-democracy and said some debates were a “disservice to democracy.” Astorino was asked about the comment.
“That is the strangest thing I have ever heard in my life and it”™s despicable,” he said.
