For immediate release: October 15, 2018

Hawkins to Bird-Dog “Chicken Cuomo” for Debates on Monday in NYC and Long Island

Will hold Debate with Randy Credico Cuomo at 1:30 PM

Green gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins will bird-dog Governor Cuomo on Monday October 15 to demand debates, including having satirist-impressionist Randy Credico standing in for Cuomo in a debate outside the Governor’s Manhattan office.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has so far not agreed to any debates with his general election opponents.

Hawkins, a retired Teamster from Syracuse who finished 3rd in the 2014 race with 5% of the vote, will confront Chicken Cuomo (in a chicken costume) about debating outside the governor’s Manhattan office at 633 3rd Avenue, Manhattan at 1:30 pm on Monday, October 15. A debate will take place with Credico standing in for Cuomo.

Hawkins and Chicken Cuomo will have another debate (without Credico) about debates in Rockville Center in the evening. They will debate at the corner of N. Park Ave. and Front St. in Rockville Center between 6:00 and 7:00 pm, across the street from a fundraiser for Sen. Todd Kaminsky where Cuomo is the featured speaker. The fundraiser starts at 6:30 pm.

Hawkins will speak on the issues in the governor’s race that evening at 7:30 PM, Freeport Memorial Library, 144 W Merrick Road in Freeport.

Hawkins has been calling since the primary concluded on September 13 for four debates in four cities on four topics: The Economy, Government Reform, Climate and the Environment, and Social Problems, including housing, health care, subways, criminal justice, and civil rights. He says all ballot-qualified candidates should be invited to the debates.

He has urged media and civic organizations to organize the debates with or without Cuomo. “Cuomo should not be permitted to once again dictate the time, place, and format of debates,” Hawkins said