A day after the final Democratic debate in the New York City mayor’s race, as the candidates hit the campaign trail and remained focused on crime, Andrew Yang faced criticism over his comments about people with mental illness.

Mr. Yang said during the debate that he wanted homeless people off the streets — comments that some viewed as insensitive.

“Yes, mentally ill people have rights,” he said Wednesday night, “but you know who else have rights? We do! The people and families of the city.”

On Thursday, Maya Wiley, a former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio, criticized Mr. Yang, a former presidential candidate, saying he lacked compassion and suggesting he was fear-mongering for votes.

“I thought it was deeply disturbing, deeply lacking in compassion,” she said, adding that she was “deeply saddened and disappointed about the way” Mr. Yang spoke about the issue.

Mr. Yang began trying to clarify his comments Wednesday evening, shortly after the debate concluded.

“Full context here was mental illness is behind half of anti-Asian hate crimes,” Mr. Yang said on Twitter. “We need to get them compassionate, comprehensive care — and not let them languish on our streets.”

Elsewhere on the campaign trail on Thursday, Kathryn Garcia, the city’s former sanitation commissioner, held a news conference at a Manhattan subway station where a 64-year-old man was slashed and robbed last month. She called for more police officers on the subway, accompanied by her cousin Clark Gregg, an actor who played a government agent in the Marvel Avengers series.

She said there needed to be a “clear and dedicated” police force on the transit system.

“New Yorkers need to feel safe on the subway if they’re going to get back on the subway,” she said, adding the subways were “vital” to New York City’s comeback.

Ms. Garcia also released a new ad claiming that as a tested crisis manager, she was the best choice to make the city safer.

“We fought Covid only to endure a new epidemic of crime,” she said in the ad.

At his own news conference at his Harlem headquarters, Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, made fun of the appearance by Ms. Garcia’s cousin, calling it unserious, and continued to argue that he was the only candidate who has the experience to improve public safety.

“Public safety is not a bumper sticker,” Mr. Adams told reporters. “It is not a television program. What are we going to do next? We’re going to pick our police commissioner from ‘C.S.I. Miami?’”

Understand the N.Y.C. Mayoral Race

• • Who’s Running for Mayor? There are more than a dozen people in the race to become New York City’s next mayor, and the primary will be held on June 22. Here’s a rundown of the candidates.
  • Get to Know the Candidates: See how the leading candidates responded to a range of questions. And go deep on each’s background and experience: Eric Adams, Maya Wiley, Andrew Yang, Kathryn Garcia, Scott M. Stringer, Raymond J. McGuire, Dianne Morales and Shaun Donovan.
  • What is Ranked-Choice Voting? New York City began using ranked-choice voting for primary elections this year, and voters will be able to list up to five candidates in order of preference. Confused? We can help.

  But he also danced with those gathered, took shots at Mr. Yang and praised another candidate, Dianne Morales, a former nonprofit executive. With less than a week before Primary Day, Mr. Adams, who leads in the polls, said he was having fun.

  “I am just an ordinary cat,” Mr. Adams said. “I am going to put cool back into being mayor.”

  At the debate on Wednesday, all the candidates were asked if there should be more officers on the subway. Five raised their hands, including Ms. Garcia and Mr. Adams. Three candidates said they opposed adding more officers, including Ms. Wiley, who is running to the left of the field.

  Mr. Adams announced new endorsements on Thursday from two prominent Black leaders — David Paterson, the former governor, and Keith L.T. Wright, the leader of the New York County Democrats.

  Ms. Wiley, for her part, started running new ads featuring Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the city’s most famous progressive. Ms. Wiley’s polling numbers have risen after endorsements from Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and other lawmakers and groups and after stumbles by other left-leaning candidates.

  One ad shows Ms. Ocasio-Cortez speaking in front of City Hall on the day she endorsed Ms. Wiley and the two women embracing.

  “We have an option of a candidate that has a lifetime of dedication to this — racial justice, economic justice and climate justice,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said.

  Michael Gold, Jeffery C. Mays and Mihir Zaveri contributed reporting.

  Source: Read Full Article