For immediate release: September 30, 2018

Howie Hawkins, the Green Party nominee for Governor, discussed the issue of Gubernatorial debates at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City on Saturday.

Both Hawkins and Cuomo addressed the crowd on the issue of criminalization of poverty, particularly the need to end cash bail. Gubernatorial candidates Larry Sharpe and Stephanie Miner also spoke.

Backstage, Hawkins approached Cuomo about debates, to which Cuomo replied “what debates?” After Hawkins shared his proposal for debates held in different regions of New York, Cuomo asked “are you going to organize them?”

“If I have to,” Hawkins responded, and so the Hawkins/Lee campaign has accepted the challenge and begun contacting media outlets to discuss sponsorship of the debates.

Hawkins proposes four regional debates (NYC Metro area, Capital District, Central NY and Western NY), each to focus on a topic: The Economy, Government Reform, The Environment and Climate, and Social Policy — including education, health care, criminal justice, and civil rights. 

Unlike the primary debate, the rules will be determined by all of the candidates and the media, not just Mr. Cuomo.