By Frank Quinn
Brad Hoylman, the incumbent state senator running for election in the newly drawn 47th district, has not agreed to debate his opponent after repeated requests.
Hoylman initially agreed to an invitation from WestView News, and a popular Greenwich Village location was secured to host the event. But Senator Hoylman later balked during negotiations over a proposed format, and repeated attempts to contact him have not been answered.
Maria Danzilo issued the following statement to WestView News: “It’s disappointing that Brad has ignored multiple requests from our campaign and WestView News to agree to debate. Voters should be very concerned that he is unwilling to debate how we should best address the crucial issues facing our city and state. Perhaps if he were out listening to voters as much as I am he would understand how frustrated people are with the lack of responsiveness to their concerns and issues. We are going ahead with a forum with or without him, on August 8th.”
The New York redistricting fiasco of 2022 has resulted in the Democratic primary being held on August 23rd, when a low turnout is expected. Another major contest in the Democratic Primary is the newly drawn 10th district of the U.S. House of Representatives. More than a dozen candidates have announced their intentions to run for the seat, with most only declaring their interest in June. The New York Times wrote that the redrawn 10th district includes “some of New York’s most politically engaged and diverse neighborhoods,” yet no major media outlets have arranged a debate among these candidates.