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Have Questions for the Mayoral Candidates? Here’s Your Chance to Ask Them at the First Two Primary Debates

SHARE Have Questions for the Mayoral Candidates? Here’s Your Chance to Ask Them at the First Two Primary Debates

Reporters prepare for a socially distanced press conference with the mayor, March 16, 2020.

Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY

THE CITY is co-hosting the first two official mayoral debates of the 2021 elections and we want you to help ask the candidates some questions.

The May 13 Democratic primary and May 26 Republican primary debates will be co-hosted by NY1, THE CITY, WNYC/Gothamist, Citizens Union, Social Work Votes (Columbia School of Social Work & Latino Leadership Institute) and John Jay College.

All candidates participating in the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s public matching funds program after meeting a fundraising threshold are required to participate. On the Democratic side, that’s Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Dianne Morales, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley and Andrew Yang. Ray McGuire has also accepted an invitation to debate.

On the Republican side, Fernando Mateo and Curtis Sliwa are expected to square off.

NY1’s Errol Louis will be moderating the debates, both to be broadcast on NY1 and WNYC radio, with the Democratic debate running from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the Republican debate from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both will reair at 11 p.m. the night of each debate.

A free video feed will be streamed at ny1.com.

Louis, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and THE CITY’s Josefa Velasquez will be asking the candidates questions on some of the most pressing issues facing New York City.

Here’s where you come in: As part of the Civic Newsroom, our a wide-ranging effort to better understand what voters need and want to know, we’re asking New Yorkers to share any questions they may have for those vying to serve as the city’s next mayor.

We’ll pick a few questions for the candidates to answer during the debate. If you’re among those selected, NY1 will (safely) make a video clip of you asking your question. 

Help us hold the candidates accountable by asking them the questions about the issues that matter most to New Yorkers. You can submit your question in the form below. Be sure to submit by the end of Friday, May 7. 

And don’t forget to check out all of the coverage coming out of our stories on the primaries, the Civic Newsroom and Meet Your Mayor, our quiz-driven interactive tool that shows you how the candidates’ stands fit with your take on key issues.

We’re no longer collecting questions for the mayoral debates but you can still ask questions to the Civic Newsroom. You can either sign up for our 2021 election newsletter here or below to ask your question or email your question to civicnewsroom@thecity.nyc.

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