Brannan (D) and Levine (D) spar over Mayor Adams and Trump in NYC comptroller debate
The two leading Democrats in the race for city comptroller clashed Thursday night over who would be a tougher watchdog for New York’s finances and a stronger check on both the next mayor and President Donald Trump.
City Councilmember Justin Brannan from Brooklyn and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine are a study in contrasts. Levine, a soft-spoken policy wonk who is fluent in Spanish, highlighted his record of pushing for affordable housing and pandemic public health measures. Brannan, a former punk rocker, touted his role negotiating the city’s annual budgets as the chair of the Council’s finance committee.
However, the one-hour debate hosted by WPIX-11 surfaced scant policy differences between the candidates. Both said they were determined to fight Trump’s attempts to cut federal aid to the city, and both supported policies that promote affordable housing — including favoring a one-year rent freeze — and the expansion of free childcare.
The veteran elected officials are fighting to win over voters for a citywide position that could be especially important under Trump. New York City is facing billions in potential spending cuts in the next fiscal year, as well as the looming possibility of an economic slowdown or recession tied to Trump’s ambitions related to tariffs.
https://gothamist.com/news/brannan-and-levine-spar-over-mayor-adams-and-trump-in-nyc-comptroller-debate