politics

NYC Mayor Race: Stringer Relative Endorses Opponent; Yang Questions Adams on Debate

Candidates continued to meet with voters in the lead-up to primary day, with tension on the campaign trail palpable as the vote inches closer

NBC Universal, Inc.

As the race for mayor nears the finish line, with early voting starting on Saturday, one Democratic candidate had a member of his own family come out and endorse one of his opponents.

Liz Abzug — the daughter of Bella Abzug, a NYC congresswoman in the 1970s who ran for mayor 44 years ago — told a crowd on Tuesday that she was endorsing Kathryn Garcia. She chose Garcia over her cousin Stringer, but said the endorsement was not connected to the sexual harassment allegations that Stringer has denied.

"It doesn't have to do with that. I made that decision well before," she said.

The endorsement also came the same day that Stringer's city comptroller office released a new audit of Garcia's handling of the pandemic as food czar. Garcia said she was suspicious of the timing of such a report.

"It was alarming that someone wuld use their office to take on a candidate," Garcia said.

Stringer's office defended the audit, calling it a legitimate probe of wasteful city spending. But even current Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said looking at the spending was "an appropriate topic for an audit," questioned the timing of the report's release.

"The timing is a little suspicious obviously. Not a shock, because we've seen audits used as tools before," the mayor said.

Less than a week before early voting is set to begin in the Democratic and Republican primaries for NYC mayor, Eric Adams is leading the most recent poll — which was conducted before AOC endorsed one of the other Democratic candidates. NBC New York's Andrew Siff reports.

Meanwhile, other candidates continued to meet with voters in the lead-up to primary day, with tension on the campaign trail palpable as the vote inches closer. At a press conference on Tuesday, Andrew yang accused latest frontrunner Eric Adams of ducking tough questions by skipping an unofficial debate coming up on Thursday.

"I am genuinely offended that Eric Adams is no-showing at a debate two days before early voting starts," Yang said.

Adams fought back against the claim, saying he's debated plenty already.

"I have participated in over 100 forums. 500 meet-and-greets, churches across the city," Adams said. He also said he received an invitation to a vigil in the Rockaways for shooting victim Justin Wallace.

"I'm going to be with a family of the 10-year-old child. That's I'm going to," he said.

Other candidates continued their final pushes as well. Maya Wiley, fresh off an endorsement by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over the weekend, talked about universal health car at campgn stops in Harlem and the Bronx.

There are nine days of early voting, which starts Saturday, before primary day itself on June 22.

Contact Us