NEW YORK — The three candidates for Staten Island borough president have distinct profiles: there’s Republican Vito Fossella, a familiar face to voters; longtime political operative Leticia Remauro; and Democrat Mark Murphy.
Wednesday night on NY1, they made their pitch to voters during an hour-long debate.
What You Need To Know
- NY1 hosted a debate among the three candidates for Staten Island borough president
- Leticia Remauro finished third in the Republican primary, but is running on the Conservative Party line
- Businessman Mark Murphy, a Democrat, and former Republican Rep. Vito Fossella are the leading candidates
- Current borough president Jimmy Oddo is being forced out by term limits
“I’m a businessman,” Murphy said in his opening statement. “I get results. I don’t make excuses.”
“I’ve been privileged to serve the people of Staten Island, both in the City Council and in Congress, for a total of about 15 years,” Fossella said.
Remauro, who finished a distant third in the Republican primary in June, is running in the general election on the Conservative Party line and framing herself as an outsider.
Staten Islanders are “fed up with the games that the major parties have been playing and the deals,” she said.
But the three candidates often found themselves on the same side of the issues, from resiliency measures to development projects to High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to policing. And all three oppose the latest vaccine mandate for the city workforce.
Candidates for #StatenIsland borough president say in NY1 debate that they support the COVID-19 vaccine, but they have issues with the city's mandate. #NY1Politics https://t.co/9ZzUy5ZcTp pic.twitter.com/EwwQiUcmqA
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) October 27, 2021
Remauro hasn’t been vaccinated.
“I have antibodies from COVID, and my doctor says they’re so high, that he doesn’t want me to have a vaccine,” Remauro said.
“I don’t think that individuals should have a gun to their head as to whether they should take a vaccine,” Fossella said. “There are some legitimate reasons why people don’t want to get the vaccine.”
Murphy said: “We have to have flexibility for those with natural immunity.”
Then there is the expansion of speed cameras, which all three candidates feverishly oppose.
Remauro: “35 miles an hour is not speeding. So we need to get that straight right now.”
Fossella: "Speed cameras are a money grab for the city.”
Murphy: “This is about Mayor de Blasio punishing Staten Islanders because we have cars.”
One place they differ: they’re each supporting their respective parties’ candidates for mayor. That means Murphy is supporting the overwhelming favorite, Democrat Eric Adams. Fossella said he’ll vote for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
And Remauro is backing longshot candidate Bill Pepitone, the Conservative Party nominee.
“I’m voting for Bill Pepitone,” she said, “because he was an NYPD officer and he has shown that he will get things done.”
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Watch the full debate above.
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