Photo Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
The special election for public advocate has been scheduled for Feb. 26.
By Forum Staff
There will be two televised debates next month for the public advocate special election, the City Campaign Finance Board announced on Saturday.
The first debate is set for Wednesday, Feb. 6, starting at 7 p.m. at the CUNY television studios. According to the CFB, to be eligible to participate in this debate, candidates must: have raised and spent $56,938 (1.25 percent of the expenditure limit for public advocate) as reflected in the campaign finance disclosure statement which must be filed with the CFB by midnight Friday, Jan. 25; be on the ballot as of the date of the debate and meet all other minimum criteria under the Campaign Finance Act.
The second “leading contenders” debate is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 20, starting at 7 p.m. on the Borough of Manhattan Community College campus. To be eligible to participate in this debate, candidates must: have raised and spent $170,813 (3.75 percent of the expenditure limit for public advocate) as reflected in the campaign finance disclosure statement which must be filed with the CFB by midnight on Friday, Feb. 15; and have received an endorsement from a City, State, or federal elected official who represents all or a portion of New York City; or have received an endorsement from one or more membership organizations with a membership of more than 250 members residing in the five boroughs;be on the ballot as of the date of the debate and meet all other minimum criteria under the Campaign Finance Act.
Any candidate who participates in the matching funds program is required to participate in each debate for which they are eligible. The Debate Program, launched in 1997, calls for two debates prior to each citywide election to provide voters with the opportunity to compare candidates side-by-side. This marks the first time since the CFB was established in 1988 that the City has held a special election for a citywide office.
Spectrum News NY 1 will sponsor and broadcast both contests, CFB confirmed. They will also be streamed live on the NY1 website and on the NY1 Facebook page. The debates will be simulcast on NYC Life, the flagship television station owned by the City.
“The public advocate plays a critical role in our city government and it is important that New Yorkers have a chance to hear directly from candidates who wish to serve in this position,” said Betsy Gotbaum, executive director of Citizens Union and a former public advocate.
