10 Public Advocate Candidates To Debate Wednesday: How To Watch

NEW YORK, NY — Ten candidates vying to finish out Attorney General Letitia James' term as New York City Public Advocate will plead their case in front of voters Wednesday night during the first televised debate in the special election.

Wednesday night's debate will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on cable and online by NY1 in partnership with debate co-sponsors POLITICO New York and the NYC Campaign Finance Board, according to a CFB press release. Viewers can also find a live stream of the debate on NY1's Facebook page.

The debate will be filmed at the City University of New York TV studio and will not feature a live audiene.

The ten candidates who will be debating Wednesday include: Former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, State Assemblyman Michael Blake, City Councilman Jumaane Williams, City Councilman Rafael Espinal, City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, journalist and activist Nomiki Konst, State Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, City Councilman Eric Ulrich, State Assembylman Ron Kim and attorney Dawn Smalls.

Each candidate qualified for Wednesday night's debate by raising and spending $56,938 on their campaigns by Monday, Jan. 21. Candidates must surpass $170,813 by Friday, Feb. 15 to qualify for a second televised debate on Wednesday, Feb. 20, campaign finance officials said.

Two televised debates must be held during each election for citywide public office since the Debate Program launched in 1997, according to campaign finance officials. This race is the first special election for citywide office since the CFB's founding in 1988.

The field represents less than 50 percent of candidates who have declared for the nonpartisan special election, according to a CFB list of candidates updated on Feb. 4. Candidates who were not invited to the debate include: Manny Alicandro, Sami Disu, David Eisenbach, Seth Galinsky, Anthony Herbert, Ifeomasinachi Ike, Walter Iwachiw, Abbey Laurel-Smith, Danniel Maio, Gary Popkin, Jared Rich, Helal Sheikh, State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, Benjamin Yee and Michael Zumbluskas.

The nonpartisan special election will be held Tuesday, Feb. 26. Whoever wins the special election will be forced to defend the seat again during a partisan election in 2019. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has served as acting public advocate since Letitia James was sworn in as New York's attorney general.

Photo by Kathleen Culliton