4 things to watch for in the crowded NY-10 debate

WNYC is co-hosting the debate Wednesday night [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Ad: We connect health and social care. click here to find out more at unite us dot org]( Advertisement 4 things to watch for in Wednesday's crowded NY-10 debate By Elizabeth Kim [lower Manhattan, which makes up much of the 10th Congressional District, as seen from the Brooklyn Bridge] Shalom Stavsky/[Flickr]( As a thank you for being a loyal Politics Brief reader, our subscribers are receiving an excerpt of WNYC's People and Power reporter Elizabeth Kim’s story a day before it is published on our website. On Wednesday, WNYC and NY1 will host the first televised debate featuring candidates who are running in the competitive and crowded Democratic congressional primary to represent one of the most liberal parts of New York City. The two-hour debate, which will be co-moderated by WNYC's Brigid Bergin and NY1's Errol Louis, starts tomorrow at 7 p.m. You can listen live on [WNYC]( via 93.9 FM, the [WNYC mobile app]( or [wnyc.org](. Spectrum subscribers can also watch the debate on [NY1](. The rare open House seat in the 10th Congressional District — covering Lower Manhattan and parts of northwest Brooklyn — has drawn 12 candidates, but only six have been selected to take the debate stage based on their fundraising: Daniel Goldman, a MSNBC contributor and former Trump prosecutor Liz Holtzman, a former House representative, district attorney and NYC comptroller Rep. Mondaire Jones, who currently represents parts of Westchester County Manhattan state Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou Manhattan City Councilmember Carlina Rivera Brooklyn state Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon [Polls show]( that the race is tightening around Goldman, Niou and Rivera, but the close margins — combined with what’s expected to be low turnout for an unusual August primary — suggest that those trailing could still pull off an upset. The debate will be an opportunity for candidates to solidify or reconfigure their standing. Here are four things we'll we watching for: 1. Who will the candidates attack? Candidates tend to attack the presumed frontrunners, especially in crowded debates. During [a Zoom forum hosted by Politics NY]( last week, Daniel Goldman gleefully nodded to the fact that he was fielding the most accusatory questions from his opponents, which included Jones and Niou. Goldman, an heir to the Levi Strauss clothing fortune who has never held elected office, is the wealthiest candidate in the race. He recently donated $1 million to his own campaign, according to campaign finance records, growing his total contributions to over $2 million. 2. Will there be a "banana peel" moment? Experts say the debate will test which candidates can best express their fluency on the issues, but the campaigns and media will also be watching for potential controversies. A moment like this occurred [during the NY-12 debate last week]( when both Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, two longtime sitting members of Congress, declined to express support for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid. (Maloney later walked back the comment, [sort of]( Given that the candidates in NY-10 are vying to be a freshman representative for a heavily liberal district, those who don’t give adequate answers to questions will raise doubts in voters' minds. 3. Two rising progressive candidates to watch: Rivera and Niou Both Rivera and Niou come into the debate with momentum from positive polling as well as key endorsements. Rivera won the early backing of Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a prominent progressive lawmaker whose district overlaps with the 10th congressional district. She has also been endorsed by 1199SEIU, the influential health care workers union. Niou, meanwhile, has scored endorsements from both [Public Advocate Jumaane Williams]( and the Working Families Party, an influential grassroots organization that gave her access to its campaign and fundraising apparatus. Niou is generally regarded as the most left-leaning candidate in the race. Rivera, who has raised money from high-profile members of the real estate industry, has defined herself as a pragmatic progressive. 4. Can Holtzman capitalize on a key endorsement? From the start of the campaign, seasoned political observers warned against counting out Holtzman, the 80-year-old trailblazing female lawmaker who was first elected to Congress during the Richard Nixon era. "She can debate everyone under the table," said veteran political expert Basil Smikle. "The question is, how many of the voters know who she is?" [Sunday’s endorsement from the New York Daily News editorial board]( boosts her name recognition and defines her as the wildcard candidate in the race. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: We connect health and social care. click here to find out more at unite us dot org]( Advertisement --------------------------------------------------------------- More political headlines this week: [voting booths in an empty gym] [The deadline to switch parties ahead of the primary is now August 11th]( This comes after Gothamist reported a loophole that would have allowed any registered voter to change their party through Primary Day on August 23rd. [a close-up of Gov. Kathy Hochul] [Gov. Hochul says bail reform critics are pushing a 'political slogan']( Both Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin and Democratic Mayor Eric Adams are pushing a narrative of out-of-control crime as Gov. Kathy Hochul seeks calm ahead of Election Day. [a close-up of former NJ Gov. Christine Todd Whitman] [We asked former Gov. Whitman: What will Forward Party actually accomplish?]( Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey, makes the case for the centrist third party she co-founded with Andrew Yang. [people walk in front of port authority bus terminal] [Texas promises to bus more asylum seekers to New York City]( The move is part of an election-year showdown between Texas' Republican governor and Democrats in New York and the White House over border issues. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [Ad: We connect health and social care. click here to find out more at unite us dot org]( Advertisement [the logo for The Takeaway] [The midterms are three months away]( We look at how the likely passage of President Biden's climate, tax and health care bill will affect Democrats' chances in the upcoming election. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. 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