The city’s two mayoral candidates will face off Oct. 19 in their only scheduled debate of the election season.
The Daily Gazette-sponsored debate will be held at the GE Theater at Proctors at a time to be announced. Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy, a Democrat, and Republican and Alliance Party candidate Roger Hull have agreed to attend.
Hull has also challenged McCarthy to many other debates and is campaigning at neighborhood association meetings where he emphasizes that McCarthy won’t debate him there.
At a recent Bellevue meeting, he carried in an empty chair to make his point that McCarthy wasn’t there.
“It would have been better if he were there. I think it would have been fairer to all in attendance to hear from both of us, at the same time,” Hull said.
But McCarthy was busy during that meeting.
“Did you hear about the second historic flooding that night?” McCarthy said when he heard of Hull’s criticism.
McCarthy has also said there’s no need for multiple debates and said last month that Hull’s request for late-summer debates showed his inexperience. Many political insiders believe few voters pay attention until just before the election.
Hull turned McCarthy’s criticism into a campaign point, arguing that voters should prefer someone who is not a “career politician.”
The debate will follow the same procedures used in the last two mayoral debates. Gazette columnist Carl Strock will moderate the session.
Three journalists representing radio, television and the Gazette will ask questions, which the politicians will not have heard in advance.
Other questions may also be collected from the audience.
The Schenectady County League of Women Voters will also hold a candidate forum on Oct. 25 for the nine people running for four seats on the City Council. The time and location will be announced.
The Democratic incumbents running are Councilwomen Denise Brucker and Margaret King.
They are joined by Democratic newcomers John Mootooveren and Leesa Perazzo.
On the Alliance Party and Republican lines are Jacquie Hurd, Phil Tiberio and Vince Riggi.
Running only on the Republican line is Heather Dukes, while Madrea Chaires is running only on the Alliance line.
GAZETTE COVERAGE
Ensure access to everything we do, today and every day, check out our subscribe page at DailyGazette.com/SubscribeMore from The Daily Gazette:
Schenectady County public defender violated sexual harassment policy, county report says
Schenectady Police ID victim in Sunday homicide, searching for person of interest
Veterans remembered in annual Schenectady Memorial Day ceremony at Vale Cemetery
Mohonasen students celebrate win at Olympics of the Visual Arts; Designed new waitress uniform
Simone's Kitchen wins Schenectady's first-ever Tater Trot, event already set to return in 2024
Categories: Schenectady County
