- New York GOP gubernatorial candidate opened his debate with Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul by saying that “New York is in crisis,” referring to economic woes and a spike in the crime rate.
- Crime and public safety was the first issue the candidates covered, and Zeldin said opposed cashless bail and would repeal it. Hochul, meanwhile, pointed to illegal guns and insisted that Zeldin did not want to address that issue, prompting him to retort that people feared a plethora of other crimes that did not involve guns at all.
- Moderators challenged Zeldin’s plan to remove Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on day one, given that he was an elected official. Zeldin insisted he would follow through and pointed to Bragg’s prosecutorial decisions as a justification. “DA stands for district attorney, not defense attorney,” he said.
