NYC Mayoral Candidates Talk COVID-19, Education and Safety

New York City is in crisis. With homelessness at an all-time high, an economy disrupted, anti-Semitic, anti-Asian and anti-Black violence, a national reckoning with race and a devastating pandemic, major reforms are sorely needed.

That was the main takeaway from the March 10 Mayoral Candidate Forum, hosted by the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and The Forward, which featured a panel of NYC mayoral candidates, including:

• Eric Adams, Democrat, current Borough president of Brooklyn
• Shaun Donovan, Democrat, former U.S. secretary of housing and urban development
• Kathryn Garcia, Democrat, former commissioner of theNYC Department of Sanitation
• Ray McGuire, Democrat, former business executive at Citigroup
• Dianne Morales, Democrat, executive director and CEO of Phipps Neighborhoods
• Scott Stringer, Democrat, NYC comptroller
• Maya Wiley, Democrat, former board chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board and current professor at the New School.
• Andrew Yang, Democrat, former presidential candidate and entrepreneur

The event was moderated by Jodi Rudoren, the editor-in-chief of The Forward, and Jacob Kornbluh, senior political reporter at The Forward, provided commentary on Twitter. Rudoren said she would not ask the candidates specifically Jewish questions because the candidates had already answered many of these questions and because “civic engagement itself is a Jewish value.”

“Civic engagement itself is a Jewish value.”

Rudoren first asked candidates how they will address COVID-19 economic recovery and equity. McGuire, Garcia, Donovan and Wiley pointed to their existing recovery plans, many of which focused on supporting small businesses and infrastructure. Stringer said he would invest in “more community-based clinics” and affordable housing to address health inequity. Morales emphasized saving lives and mentioned a wealth tax as one policy that will steer her recovery strategy. Yang spoke of tourism and verifying vaccinations, noting Israel’s green passport system. Adams focused on combatting hate and gang crimes and cutting red tape for small business.

The candidates then had the opportunity to speak about public safety, education or housing:

Stringer and Donovan focused on housing. Stringer explained that he plans to build low-income housing on unused plots of land and said that 25% of construction should be allocated to affordable housing. Donavan emphasized his unique experience in housing in “ending” veteran homelessness in certain locations.

Morales, Garcia and Yang focused on public safety. Morales proposed defunding the police by $3 billion, reinvesting that money in jobs, education and other resources; she also called for “community first responders department” that could many of the socially-based situations police respond to. Garcia spoke about having a mental health position within the police, increasing the recruit age of police officers and creating accountability measures. Yang suggested having a civilian head of police and having officers live in the city to understand the populations they serve. (Yang and Wiley then had to leave the call.)

McGuire and Adams discussed education. McGuire proposed a “cradle to career” plan that ensured every child in the third grade could read and that sixth graders could obtain summer jobs. Adams would target racial inequities in learning, which he was said was “not K-12; it’s pregnancy through professional.” (Adams then had to leave the call.)

Candidates then participated in a “lighting round” of questions, discussing a book they had just read, an app they couldn’t live without, hobbies they developed during the pandemic and the worst job they ever had. They concluded by explaining which public figure was their role model:

• Garcia: Eleanor Roosevelt and Ed Koch
• McGuire: Franklin A. Thomas and Vernon Jordan
• Stringer: Representative Jerry Nadler and Senator Robert F. Kennedy
• Donavan: Representative John Lewis
• Morales: Representatives Shirley Chisolm and Cori Bush.

The mayoral primary will occur on June 22, using Ranked Choice Voting for the first time. The general election will take place on November 2. NYC residents can register for the primary up until June 8.

You can watch the entire event here. The event was also cosponsored by The Center for Jewish Living, AJC New York, Avodah, B’nai Jeshurun, Hebrew Tabernacle Congregation, JCC Harlem, Jewish Alliance for Dialogue and Engagement (JADE), Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, JTS Hendel Center for Ethics and Justice, National Council of Jewish Women New York, Park Avenue Synagogue, Romemu, SAJ — Judaism That Stands for All and West End Synagogue.

Ari Berman is Op-Ed Editor for the Journal.