Five Takeaways from the Final New York City Mayoral Debate

By Shane Goldmacher

After spending the day managing the aftermath of a terror attack that left eight dead in Lower Manhattan, Mayor Bill de Blasio had some political business to attend to: the second and final debate of the general election.

The face-off, held under the most politically delicate of circumstances, nonetheless represented the last, best chance for Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the Republican, and Bo Dietl, an independent candidate and former police detective, to directly challenge Mr. de Blasio. They did not let it pass as they hammered the incumbent with accusations of a pay-to-play culture in City Hall and mismanagement of the city overall.

Here are 5 takeaways from the debate:

1. Mr. de Blasio stood above

At nearly 6-foot-6, Mr. de Blasio naturally towers over his opponents on the debate stage. But he seemed especially tall arriving at the debate hall after more than 24 hours of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the city’s law enforcement leaders in response to the attack on Lower Manhattan. “I just want to start by saying I’m so proud of the people of New York City tonight,” he said at the start, echoing comments he has made in news conferences at Police Headquarters. 

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Sources: CBS News and The New York Times