Centrist Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Nassau) and left-leaning Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined forces Thursday in attacking Governor Kathy Hochul, who skipped the first televised debate of the Democratic campaign.
“Although we have some differences. At least we both showed up. I really wish that the governor would have as well. I think New Yorkers deserve to hear the different visions that we have,” Williams said at the beginning of the hour-long debate hosted by NY1.
A campaign spokesperson for Hochul said she did not participate so that she could focus on legislative issues on the final day of the scheduled 2022 session.
Hochul has previously confirmed that she will appear at debates scheduled for June 7 and June 16 ahead of the June 28 Democratic primary for governor.
Her absence Thursday night gave her primary rivals a chance to knock her on issues like crime, gun control, and mayoral control of New York City schools – whether or not the question at hand concerned Hochul.
“This is a great example of where people like the governor are trying to force the old normal … the governor should be leading on a hybrid model that allows people to commute back and forth,” Williams said when asked his opinion about Mayor Eric Adams’ ongoing push to get city workers to return to their offices.
Asked about his congressional work on gun control, Suozzi touted his record of supporting a litany of proposals before pivoting to attacking Hochul over her past focus on the legalization of to-go drinks and securing $850 million in taxpayer money for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.
When given an opportunity by moderators Errol Louis and Susan Arbetter to ask Suozzi a question, Williams asked the Long Island lawmaker how he managed to get an “F” rating from the NRA when Hochul had received an “A” while representing a relatively conservative district in Congress a decade ago.
Suozzi likewise lobbed a softball question back at Williams, asking him how Hochul is doing as governor.
“It’s almost like you guys planned this,” Arbetter said.
Both Suozzi and Williams also used the debate to highlight their top talking points from the campaign trail.
Suozzi – a former mayor of Glen Cove and Nassau County executive – attacked Hochul for a purported lack of leadership on issues like rising crime while mentioning his support for tweaking state bail laws so judges would have more discretion to jail people who pose threats to public safety.
“She leaked a plan [on bail reform changes] 10 days before the budget was due and she refused to talk about it in public. That’s not leadership,” Suozzi said of Hochul.
Williams, a former member of the City Council, laid out a progressive vision for the state that includes $1 billion for violence prevention services as well as a more aggressive approach to confronting climate change – including support for outstanding legislation that would impose a two-year moratorium on new cryptocurrency mining operations at decommissioned fossil fuel plants.
“This is another hypocrisy in this administration,” Williams said in an oblique reference to campaign donations to Hochul from bill opponents.
Hochul has led every public poll of the race by large margins while raising several times more money for her campaign than Suozzi and Williams.
While her two rivals did get a chance to tout their records and positions Thursday night, too much time spent on attacking Hochul Thursday night could backfire, according to political consultant Camille Rivera.
“When you have two candidates with low name recognition you want to differentiate yourself [but] I don’t think a few weeks before the primary is a winning strategy,” Rivera said.