The Debate Program is a cornerstone of the CFB’s voter education efforts. It provides New Yorkers with an opportunity to compare candidates side-by-side as they discuss the important issues facing the city.
NY1 and Noticias NY1 will sponsor and broadcast both debates for the 2019 General Election and will be joined by the following co-sponsors: The League of Women Voters, the NAACP New York State Conference Metropolitan Council, and the Latino Leadership Institute. Both debates will stream live and free-of-charge on the NY1 website and on the NY1 Facebook page. The debates will also be simulcast on NYC Life, the flagship station owned by the City of New York.
First Debate: Thursday, October 10, 7 p.m.
First Debate: Thursday, October 10, 7 p.m.
- To be eligible to participate in this debate, candidates must meet the following minimum criteria as established by the Campaign Finance Act:
- have raised and spent $113,875 (2.5% of the expenditure limit for Public Advocate) as reflected in the campaign finance disclosure statement which must be filed with the CFB by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 4, 2019;
- be on the ballot as of the date of the debate and meet all other minimum criteria under the Campaign Finance Act.
Second Debate: Tuesday, October 29, 7 p.m.
- By law, the second debate is reserved for "leading contenders";
- To be eligible to participate in this debate, candidates must:
- be on the ballot as of the date of the debate and meet all other minimum criteria under the Campaign Finance Act;
- have raised and spent $136,650 (3% of the expenditure limit for Public Advocate) as reflected in the campaign finance disclosure statement which must be filed with the CFB by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2019;
AND - Either:
- 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 over 250 members residing in New York City;
OR - have at least 750 small dollar contributors (contributed $250 or less in the aggregate to the candidate within the current election cycle), each of whom is a resident in the city of New York, as reflected in the last filing statement prior to the Debate, which must be filed by Friday, October 25, 2019.
- 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 over 250 members residing in New York City;
Past Debate Information
Past Debate Videos