Dem Mayoral Contenders Go Easy in First Debate

Two Democrats competing in a primary to face New York City's billionaire incumbent mayor didn't tussle over issues in their first official debate, but they did fight about money. Democrats William Thompson Jr. and Tony Avella largely ignored each other throughout the debate on Wednesday night. Instead, they attacked Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was not there. The Republican-turned-independent faces no primary challenger. Thompson and Avella did argue once — about money, a hot topic in a race where the popular mayor is spending millions on his campaign. Thompson compared his campaign to President Barack Obama's grass-roots effort. Avella ridiculed the description because most of Thompson's donations are not from small donors. The primary is Sept. 15.