MANHATTAN — New York's confrontational gubernatorial debate on Tuesday confirmed there is no love lost between two-term Democratic incumbent Andrew M. Cuomo and Republican hopeful Marc Molinaro. In what will likely be the race's lone one-on-one televised debate before voters head to the polls in less than two weeks, the two candidates sparred aggressively over a range of issues, including taxes and spending, corruption and President Donald J. Trump. The tone for the contentious, hour-long forum was set early by the governor, who from the onset interrupted his GOP rival, talked over the moderators and demanded more speaking time. An exasperated moderator complained early on about his inability to get a word in "edgewise," while the other moderator warned she would have to "punch [Cuomo] out" as he lobbied for more air time. His barrage of attacks mostly sought to link Molinaro to Trump, who Cuomo has spent much of his re-election campaign talking about and identified as the biggest threat to New York. "Do you support Donald Trump?" Cuomo repeated four times, while a frustrated Molinaro tried to talk about health care services and his personal experience growing up in poverty. As the governor continued to needle his opponent on the topic, Molinaro sought to explain his support for the president's economic policies while still keeping the controversial politician at arm's length. "You won't say you support the president," Cuomo said. "Amazing." Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, tried to volley the governor's attacks with his own familiar criticisms, highlighting the ongoing investigation into political contributions from Crystal Run, a Hudson Valley healthcare provider that has garnered millions in state grants, and rehashing the high-profile corruption convictions of top Cuomo administration officials, including Joe Percoco and Alain Kaloyeros. "You have allowed individuals in this administration to defraud taxpayers," Molinaro said. "Anywhere else in America, no governor could possibly be running for re-election." Molinaro also pledged to rekindle the defunct Moreland Commission, enabling people like law professor Zephyr Teachout and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara to pursue corruption in state government. He accused Cuomo of disbanding the entity when it got too close to his interests. "I will use that as the tool to hold back the forces in Albany who think it's ok to defraud people," Molinaro said. The governor responded with allegations about pay-to-play charges in Dutchess County, which Molinaro has dismissed and said were based on the competitive awarding of county grants. In making his case for another four years in office, Cuomo touted his ability to work with Democrats and Republicans, citing the relatively peaceful budget process during his tenure. "I do have a problem with what my opponent represents and is happening in Washington, these extreme conservative, divisive people, who are anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ, anti-New York," the governor said. Molinaro responded by presenting himself as a moderate, distancing himself from votes he took as a member of the state Assembly against same-sex marriage, abortion rights and LGBTQ protections. He argued the issues were settled law, and he wouldn't try to overturn them as governor. Characterizing himself as the more inclusive candidate, Molinaro said he would give everyone "who has a stake in the game" a voice in his administration. "At the end of the day, when we put aside our differences to work honestly and earnestly toward solving problems, we can absolutely overcome any challenge," he said. Cuomo dismissed the sentiment as "beautiful, flowery words." Molinaro took his own shots, at one point scolding the governor for lecturing him about women's rights as he cited a sexual harassment investigation at the Division of Criminal Justice Services in which two female employees who testified in an inspector general's investigation were subsequently punished. Cuomo has declined to comment on the case, contending it's part of an ongoing investigation. "With all due respect sir, when women spoke up in your administration regarding sexual harassment you fired one woman and put the other in a closet," Molinaro said. "Don't lecture me about women's rights." Cuomo referred the DCJS case to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which opened an investigation earlier this year but has not yet taken any action. The candidates presented starkly different pictures of the state’s tax and spending problems, with Cuomo blaming local governments for driving up property taxes and Molinaro faulting Albany for passing on mandated costs. The debate's lone upstate-specific question, aside from talk about Dutchess County's place in the geographic divide, was about a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills. "There was no specific discussion about upstate's declining population, the state's job-killing business climate or crumbling local roads and bridges," said Michael Kracker, executive director of the conservative-leaning Unshackle Upstate. "Ignoring the very real concerns of millions of upstate taxpayers is completely unacceptable," he added. Tuesday's debate appeared to come together at the last minute, despite Molinaro calling for multiple debates across the state. Cuomo demurred on the topic for most of the campaign, until publicly indicating a willingness late last week to share the stage with his Republican rival. The three third-party candidates and Molinaro have also agreed to a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of New York at The College of Saint Rose in Albany on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. But the governor has yet to accept the invitation. Cuomo is considered the prohibitive favorite to win on Election Day, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight, a data-driven website that aggregates polling information. The governor has consistently led in the polls, has a large fundraising advantage and benefits from a two-to-one Democratic enrollment in the state. David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87<doc-sep>It got ugly, and fast Considering it was only an hour, and was perhaps Mr. Molinaro’s best chance to make a dent in the governor’s substantial lead in the polls, it wasn’t surprising that he wanted to go quickly on the attack. He accused the governor of leading “the most corrupted state government in America” and of being “born on third base.” But Mr. Cuomo was just as combative, turning accusations of pay-to-play right back on Mr. Molinaro, and, when he wasn’t outright interrupting Mr. Molinaro, smiling and nodding sarcastically at him. Mr. Molinaro tried to couch his attacks in a more dignified tone, repeatedly calling Mr. Cuomo “sir” and denouncing the “bullying and the threatening” that he said had come to dominate New York politics. But overall, the gloves came off early and stayed off, as the two men bickered over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, medical marijuana, and, of course, President Trump. “Is this how we’re doing it?” Mr. Molinaro asked as Mr. Cuomo interrupted him again. Yes, yes it was. Meet Marc Trump — er, Molinaro The debate was an opportunity for Mr. Molinaro — who has struggled to raise money and awareness — to introduce himself and his ideas to voters. And by and large, he spoke cogently and convincingly about policy and his vision for the state. But Mr. Molinaro also failed to neutralize Mr. Cuomo’s central strategy of tying him to the president. Rather than emphasizing that he had not voted for Mr. Trump, or that he had denounced some of the president’s rhetoric, Mr. Molinaro instead sidestepped the governor’s questions about whether he supported Mr. Trump, possibly in an effort not to alienate some of his Republican base. Mr. Molinaro later told reporters he did not want to allow Mr. Cuomo to force him into an oversimplified answer.<doc-sep>New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo went nasty against his Republican challenger Marc Molinaro, who counterpunched by accusing the Democratic incumbent of widespread corruption during Tuesday's only scheduled debate before next month’s election. Cuomo repeatedly linked Molinaro to President Trump, a tactic calculated to be effective in heavily Democratic New York. Cuomo decried Molinaro as Trump’s “Mini-Me,” referring to the sidekick of the villainous Dr. Evil of the "Austin Powers" movies, and weaponized the president’s unpopularity in his home state to attack the Republican candidate. “The extreme conservative wing that Mr. Molinaro and Mr. Trump represent exclude everything. They’re anti-women. They’re anti-LGBTQ,” Cuomo said after being asked about education policy. But Molinaro, trailing heavily in the polls against Cuomo -- who’s seeking a third term -- countered the attacks by questioning Cuomo’s complicity in corruption. “Governor, you have led the most corrupted state government in America,” he said, bringing up the recent criminal conviction of Joseph Percoco, a close Cuomo aide who traded influence for both money and a job for his wife. “At what point, after eight years of being in office, do you take responsibility?” "Governor, you have led the most corrupted state government in America. At what point, after eight years of being in office, do you take responsibility?" — Marc Molinaro Cuomo remained consistent with his strategy to link Molinaro to Trump, even attacking the Republican’s answer that there need to be more support services for homeless people and their mental health. “This is so hypocritical for you to sit here, an acolyte of Donald Trump, Mini-Me of Donald Trump, who is decimating health care in this state,” Cuomo said. He went on to press Molinaro on whether he supports the president, a question Molinaro refused to answer and instead said he supported policies that would improve the state’s economy. CUOMO’S CAMPAIGN TO ‘BANKRUPT’ NRA BY TARGETING INSURANCE PROGRAM SPREADS TO MORE STATES Molinaro slammed Cuomo’s management of the economy and taxation and said he abandoned the responsibility for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the state’s public transit network. The latest Quinnipiac University poll, conducted before the debate, found Cuomo leading by 23 points. The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Good morning on this chilly Wednesday. The only debate in the general race for governor took place yesterday between Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent, Marcus J. Molinaro. The heated back-and-forth touched on the subway, corruption, health care, medical marijuana, homelessness and President Trump. [Read more about the Cuomo-Molinaro debate.] The candidates spent a lot of time talking over each other, and things got so tense at one point that the CBS moderator told the men, “Don’t make me punch you out.” But that was hardly the most notable quote of the event. Here are some from the candidates. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a nipper.”<doc-sep>
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called his Republican challenger, Marc Molinaro, an acolyte of President Donald Trump, and Molinaro punched back by assailing the Democrat as corrupt as the two candidates faced off Tuesday at their only scheduled debate before next month's election. The exchanges between the two men were sharp and unfriendly. Cuomo, at one point, called Molinaro Trump's "Mini-Me," a reference to the evil sidekick in the Austin Powers movies. Molinaro brought up the recent criminal conviction of a close Cuomo aide, Joseph Percoco, who traded influence for money and a cushy job for his wife. "Governor, you have led the most corrupted state government in America," Molinaro said. "At what point, after eight years of being in office, do you take responsibility?" New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (L) and Republican challenger Marc Molinaro (R) seen at the New York gubernatorial debate on Tue., Oct. 23, 2018, in New York. CBS New York Cuomo, looking for his third term, sparred with Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan. The debate was scheduled to be webcast and televised at 7 p.m. on several CBS affiliates. Cuomo is far ahead in the polls and in fundraising and until this weekend showed little interest in debating his lesser-known Republican challenger. During the debate, Cuomo made Trump, who is unpopular in the most densely populated parts of the state, the central target of his attacks. "The extreme conservative wing that Mr. Molinaro and Mr. Trump represent exclude everything. They're anti-women. They're anti-LGBTQ," Cuomo said after a question about education policy. He brought up votes Molinaro had taken in the state Assembly, including one against a bill barring the use of handcuffs on pregnant inmates in labor. Molinaro said at the time that he did so because he thought doctors and corrections officers should have some discretion, for safety reasons. At one point, Cuomo asked Molinaro repeatedly if he supported Trump. Molinaro refused to answer, instead saying that he supported policies that would strengthen the country's economy and that New York's economy was lagging behind. Molinaro, who has said he did not support Trump in 2016, criticized Cuomo's handling of the upstate economy and property taxes and accused him of abandoning responsibility for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency that oversees New York City's beleaguered transit system. The debate didn't feature the three third-party candidates: Libertarian Larry Sharpe, Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins or former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, an independent. "A single debate without all the candidates hurts democracy," Miner said in a statement responding to Monday's debate announcement. "New Yorkers deserve better."