De Blasio ‘absolutely not watching’ GOP mayoral debate between Sliwa, Mateo
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Color him disinterested.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday he will not be watching the evening’s debate between the Republican mayoral hopefuls — mocking the Big Apple’s two GOP candidates in the process.
“That’s an hour I’m going to save from my life by not watching it,” de Blasio said with a laugh during his daily press conference on Wednesday. “Absolutely, positively not watching that debate.”
“We will always respect the will of the people and anything can happen in this world, but I’m 100 percent certain that a Democrat will win,” he continued. “I’m not going to put my time into watching that debate.”
The face-off is the first televised meeting and second debate between the two leading contenders for the Republican nomination, Curtis Silwa and Fernando Mateo. It’s set to air on Spectrum News NY1 at 7 p.m.
Mateo is a restaurateur and former advocate for livery drivers and bodega owners, while Silwa is a former radio talk-show host who rose to prominence as the founder of the Guardian Angels, the civilian patrol group that rose to fame riding the city’s subways in the late 1970s.
Both men are one-time friends, but have not shied away from slinging mud at each other, despite the long odds either would face in reclaiming Gracie Mansion — the mayoral residence — for the GOP in November.
Their first meeting turned especially nasty, with Mateo threatening to bury Silwa under “18 feet” of dirt and Silwa accusing Mateo of illegally raising money for de Blasio.
While Republicans have long been outnumbered in New York City, the party is at a nadir when it comes to its ability to compete and influence politics in the five boroughs.
Just three of the 51-member City Council are Republicans — and two of them are from Staten Island, the city’s smallest borough. Outside of Staten Island, Republicans do not hold a single borough-wide or citywide elected office.
The primary is June 22.
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