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| Highlights From the New York City Mayoral Debate | Highlights From the New York City Mayoral Debate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| In the first general election debate of his campaign for a second term, Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, faced off Tuesday against Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, and Bo Dietl, a former police detective running as an independent on the Dump the Mayor line. | In the first general election debate of his campaign for a second term, Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, faced off Tuesday against Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, and Bo Dietl, a former police detective running as an independent on the Dump the Mayor line. |
| Here are the highlights: | Here are the highlights: |
| • The debate spiraled out of control on several occasions, both for the candidates on stage and the moderators, as a raucous crowd cheered, booed, hooted and hollered. | |
| NY1’s Errol Louis paused the debate and threatened that security officials would be escorting misbehaving audience members to the “sidewalk.” That threat appeared to be carried out moments later, as at least one person was ejected. None of the candidates were removed, although Mr. Dietl’s microphone was cut off at least twice. | |
| • All three candidates got to ask one question to a rival. Ms. Malliotakis asked the mayor why he traveled to Germany not long after the death of a police officer, a train derailment and a report on growing homelessness over the summer. | • All three candidates got to ask one question to a rival. Ms. Malliotakis asked the mayor why he traveled to Germany not long after the death of a police officer, a train derailment and a report on growing homelessness over the summer. |
| “What kind of person are you, what kind of mayor are you that you would leave your city at a time like that?” she asked. | “What kind of person are you, what kind of mayor are you that you would leave your city at a time like that?” she asked. |
| He disagreed with her premise, saying he spent time with the fallen officer’s family and at the hospital. | He disagreed with her premise, saying he spent time with the fallen officer’s family and at the hospital. |
| Mr. de Blasio asked her why she supported Mr. Trump last year. She came prepared with a retort, if not an answer. “Mr. Mayor, this election is not about Donald Trump. This election is about you,” she said, accusing him of trying to “deflect from your lousy record.” | Mr. de Blasio asked her why she supported Mr. Trump last year. She came prepared with a retort, if not an answer. “Mr. Mayor, this election is not about Donald Trump. This election is about you,” she said, accusing him of trying to “deflect from your lousy record.” |
| The exchange was among Mr. de Blasio’s most aggressive of the evening, as he interrupted and pushed her over and over to explain her support for the president. | The exchange was among Mr. de Blasio’s most aggressive of the evening, as he interrupted and pushed her over and over to explain her support for the president. |
| • Tensions increased during the discussion on crime as Mr. de Blasio kept repeating that New York is the “safest big city” in America. Both his opponents objected. | • Tensions increased during the discussion on crime as Mr. de Blasio kept repeating that New York is the “safest big city” in America. Both his opponents objected. |
| “That is not true if you’re a woman in this city,” Ms. Malliotakis said, citing a “25 percent increase in felony sex crimes.” Mr. de Blasio slashed back that she was engaged in a “classic right-wing Republican scare tactic.” | “That is not true if you’re a woman in this city,” Ms. Malliotakis said, citing a “25 percent increase in felony sex crimes.” Mr. de Blasio slashed back that she was engaged in a “classic right-wing Republican scare tactic.” |
| Then Mr. de Blasio said that anyone who disagreed with the statistics that crime is down was “denigrating the hard work of the N.Y.P.D.” — an interesting stance given the mayor’s once-fraught relationship with the department’s rank-and-file. | Then Mr. de Blasio said that anyone who disagreed with the statistics that crime is down was “denigrating the hard work of the N.Y.P.D.” — an interesting stance given the mayor’s once-fraught relationship with the department’s rank-and-file. |
| “I’d like a little more respect of the hard work of our officers,” Mr. de Blasio scolded his rivals. | “I’d like a little more respect of the hard work of our officers,” Mr. de Blasio scolded his rivals. |
| Ms. Malliotakis later interrupted to question whether the mayor thought the women who were suffering sex crimes were “Not real human beings?” “You know better than that,” he replied. | Ms. Malliotakis later interrupted to question whether the mayor thought the women who were suffering sex crimes were “Not real human beings?” “You know better than that,” he replied. |
| • The three candidates sparred over the size and scope of the city’s budget, which has grown by roughly $15 billion during Mr. de Blasio’s tenure. Ms. Malliotakis called it “the epitome of mismanagement.” But when pressed what she would cut, she offered few specifics, only a vague, “You have to streamline these agencies.” | • The three candidates sparred over the size and scope of the city’s budget, which has grown by roughly $15 billion during Mr. de Blasio’s tenure. Ms. Malliotakis called it “the epitome of mismanagement.” But when pressed what she would cut, she offered few specifics, only a vague, “You have to streamline these agencies.” |
| The mayor defended the spending increases as “fiscally sound” because the city still has the “biggest reserves in history.” He said that extra funding for key programs in education and policing were necessary and effective. “Do you think you get to be the safest big city without making fundamental investments?” he asked. | The mayor defended the spending increases as “fiscally sound” because the city still has the “biggest reserves in history.” He said that extra funding for key programs in education and policing were necessary and effective. “Do you think you get to be the safest big city without making fundamental investments?” he asked. |
| • Mr. de Blasio repeated his first-term achievements, from universal prekindergarten to lower crime rates. Mr. Dietl was largely unimpressed, although he did offer one note of comity with the mayor: “The only good thing he ever did — I like that pre-K stuff,” he said. “Maybe I’ll put you in charge of that?” | • Mr. de Blasio repeated his first-term achievements, from universal prekindergarten to lower crime rates. Mr. Dietl was largely unimpressed, although he did offer one note of comity with the mayor: “The only good thing he ever did — I like that pre-K stuff,” he said. “Maybe I’ll put you in charge of that?” |
| • All three candidates argued over the issue of homelessness in New York City and Mr. de Blasio’s record. “This man has done nothing for the homeless,” Mr. Dietl said. “He has turned homelessness into a business,” Ms. Malliotakis said, referring to the fact that some homeless people are housed in hotels. | • All three candidates argued over the issue of homelessness in New York City and Mr. de Blasio’s record. “This man has done nothing for the homeless,” Mr. Dietl said. “He has turned homelessness into a business,” Ms. Malliotakis said, referring to the fact that some homeless people are housed in hotels. |
| Mr. de Blasio acknowledged the “homelessness crisis” but claimed he has undertaken “the biggest affordable housing initiative in our history.” He said the use of hotels was “not fair to the homeless or the taxpayers” but a necessary stopgap. | Mr. de Blasio acknowledged the “homelessness crisis” but claimed he has undertaken “the biggest affordable housing initiative in our history.” He said the use of hotels was “not fair to the homeless or the taxpayers” but a necessary stopgap. |
| • Mr. de Blasio immediately dismissed his two opponents and tried to lump them together as “right-wing Republicans who voted for Donald Trump.” Mr. Dietl acknowledged, “I did vote for him,” but said that he has since soured on the president, calling him a “lying narcissist.” Ms. Malliotakis ignored the charge. | • Mr. de Blasio immediately dismissed his two opponents and tried to lump them together as “right-wing Republicans who voted for Donald Trump.” Mr. Dietl acknowledged, “I did vote for him,” but said that he has since soured on the president, calling him a “lying narcissist.” Ms. Malliotakis ignored the charge. |
| • Mr. Louis promised “an uninterrupted conversation about issues” in his introduction. That promise did not last long. “First of all, I’ve got to say, go Yankees!” Mr. Dietl screamed in his opening statement, pointing at the mayor and adding, “He’s a Boston Red Sox fan!” | • Mr. Louis promised “an uninterrupted conversation about issues” in his introduction. That promise did not last long. “First of all, I’ve got to say, go Yankees!” Mr. Dietl screamed in his opening statement, pointing at the mayor and adding, “He’s a Boston Red Sox fan!” |
| When Mr. de Blasio began his opening statement, the crowd booed so loud that the mayor was forced to stop, as his supporters shouted back, “Four more years.” | When Mr. de Blasio began his opening statement, the crowd booed so loud that the mayor was forced to stop, as his supporters shouted back, “Four more years.” |