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Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. Good morning everyone. For this day before primary day, we've invited the eight leading Democratic mayoral candidates to come on for just five minutes each to start the show this morning, they have all accepted and give you their best last day elevator pitches.

If you're still undecided after that, Jeff Colton from City & State magazine will be here next hour with a complete list of endorsements for mayor and comptroller and Manhattan DA, and a few other selected races around the five boroughs. If you can't decide on your own, who are those who you identify with going forward, we can go down that list and we can take your questions about endorsements next hour. First, it's the elevator pitches and with us first is former sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. Commissioner, here we are almost to the finish line. Welcome back to WNYC one last time in this race.

Kathryn Garcia: I'm thrilled to be with you. It's been phenomenal on the trail. We are hopping all across the city today to get out to vote.

Brian Lehrer: The way these will work, is I'll give you the floor for two minutes uninterrupted, I won't jump in. Then afterwards, I'll briefly follow up with one tension that may be keeping undecided voters who are considering you undecided at this late date. Kathryn Garcia, if people are on the fence about you, address whatever you think might be keeping them undecided, or say whatever you want.

Kathryn Garcia: Brian, I'm thrilled to be able to have the floor. I'm Kathryn Garcia, and I'm running for mayor. Not because I want the title, but because I actually really want to do the job. I know that I'm the only candidate who can deliver on all of her promises. I don't just make plans, I execute on plan. I have been the go-to crisis manager for New York City for the last 14 years. Whether or not that was during Superstorm Sandy, or during COVID, being asked to set up a food program that literally delivered a million meals a day.

To date, the team that I built has delivered 230 million meals. It's a stunning amount of need in this city, and that's why we need to open up this economy, get people back to work, but make it so that there's real economic mobility for all of the people of the city. That's about affordability, having affordable housing, having a place to live, housing heals. We have to make sure that every neighborhood has that. We are going to invest in our kids and make every public school a crown jewel.

I know I can achieve this because I have been achieving this, and it's what New Yorkers deserve. They need. They really do deserve a government that works for everyone equally. I am thrilled to be out there on the trail. We are getting such positive momentum. New Yorkers are smart. They want their streets clean, they want their kids to do great in school and they want to be safe on the streets regardless of the color of their skin.

Brian Lehrer: All right. My follow-up question is this. I see that you and Andrew Yang campaigned together on Saturday, and going to do so again today. This might confuse some people about you, because you're running as the most directly experienced person who's proven yourself at running city agency successfully like you were just mentioning. The biggest knock on Mr. Yang is that he's so unfamiliar, and even that it was sexist of him in that light to say he'd make you his deputy mayor. Why campaign with Mr. Yang in particular? Since you are, why not announced he's second on your ballot, as he announced your second on his? Help people, if they're confused by all the coverage on this over the last couple of days.

Kathryn Garcia: It's really pretty straightforward. We are promoting Ranked-Choice Voting that you use all of your opportunities one through five because that's your power. That's the power of your vote. I have not endorsed Andrew Yang. We are just promoting Ranked-Choice Voting and it's really the same thing each of us has been saying for months. Ranked-Choice Voting was passed by over 73% of New Yorkers, and allows you to have five choices on your ballot. We want to make sure that everyone is getting out to vote. It's an absolutely incredibly important election. I want the voters out there deciding who's going to be the next mayor.

Brian Lehrer: Kathryn Garcia, thank you so much for starting off our last day elevator pitches win, lose or draw. Good luck getting through the last day.

Kathryn Garcia: Oh no, it is great out here. Thank you so much for having everyone on. 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM tomorrow, it's Election Day.

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Brian Lehrer: We're doing five-minute elevator pitches from the leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates back to back to back to back. With me now for his elevator pitch, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. Borough President, thanks for squeezing us in today.

Eric Adams: Thank you very much, Brian, for allowing me to come on and speak with you today.

Brian Lehrer: Now, I'd like to give you the floor for two minutes uninterrupted, no annoying radio person setting the agenda. Then after that, I will briefly follow up. Eric Adams, if people are on the fence about you at this late date, address whatever you think might be keeping them undecided, or say whatever else you want. Two minutes.

Eric Adams: Thank you, Brian. To all New Yorkers, I'm Eric Adams, I'm the current Borough President, a former New York State senator and former NYPD captain. After being beaten by police as a teenager, I was recruited by civil rights leaders to go in and reform the police department from within. I put my life on the line to make sure New York was safe as I patrol neighborhoods in a bulletproof vest and on our subways as a transit cop in the '90s.

I want to continue and my desire is to continue to make New York a safe, fair, affordable city for everyone, and a city that works for everyone no matter what neighborhood you live in. That is why I'm running for mayor. I know that public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity. I know that we must reverse racial inequalities that I've held so many back. I know this because I have lived these struggles since I was a young man growing up in South Jamaica, Queens.

We are in a pivotal moment. The next leader of our city has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally address the inequalities and injustices that have plagued our city for so long. More than 10 billion in stimulus funding will be at the discretion of the next mayor. That money can go towards the status quo, or it can go towards investing in the under-served, creating opportunities that will let them thrive and lifting our city up with them. We must meet the moment and this moment back from the pandemic stronger than we were before, but we need a leader who has the experience and know-how to get things done. We need a leader who has gone through a lot because they know how to help people who are going through a lot.

I have made a promise to voters, I will make public safety my day one priority. I don't plan to stop there, but when our city is safe, we all win. I'll also reform the police in a way that only someone who has been in the department can. That is why Abner Louima endorsed me. That is why the Father Sean Bell endorsed me, and that is why the parents of Wenjian Liuendorsed me because I can make the city both safe and fair. I have put together a comprehensive and transformative plan--

Brian Lehrer: Let me jump in for time and follow up this way. If I can frame what the tension might be for some voters in your case, and picking up on what you were just saying. Maybe it's a concern that, yes, they want something done about crime, and your life experience and professional experience are well placed. They're afraid that when you talk about increasing stop and frisk, or restoring the plainclothes anti-crime unit, that was seen as responsible for some abuses in the past. That perhaps it's going to wind up in more mass incarceration, maybe even more police killings of young Black and brown people in encounters they don't have to have. How can you reassure people, that that won't be the case with your plan?

Eric Adams: I think it's important, Brian, that we don't use the talking points of opponents who were not on the ground with me during the '70s, '80s, and '90s. I've never stated I was going to increase stop and frisk. That's the talking point of Maya Wiley. I never said I was going to re-institute the anti-crime unit. What I did say is we're going to make sure that we don't have the abuse of stopping and questioning people who we believe are committing crimes. That is not going to be an increase in that abuse. I testified in federal court. I'm the only candidate that the judge mentioned. It was based on my testimony that we stopped the abusive tactics. When we put together a plainclothes gun unit, it's going to zero in on the gun violence, so we don't have mothers like Young Justin, her son Justin who died in Rockaway. We could have the Justice we deserve with the safety we need. No one knows that better than me. That's what I have done for over 35 years.

Brian Lehrer: Borough President Adams, thank you so much. Win, lose, or draw, good luck getting through the next day, and thank you for coming on this show four times during this campaign.

Eric Adams: Thank you. Take care.

Brian Lehrer: That segment with Borough President Adams was recorded on Friday. We're doing five minute elevator pitches from the leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates back to back to back to back to back. Now as we return to another live one, New York City comptroller, Scott Stringer. Comptroller Stringer, thanks for a few minutes from you on the always jam-packed last day. Welcome back to WNYC.

Scott Stringer: Thank you, Brian. It's great to be back.

Brian Lehrer: The way this works is you get the floor for two minutes, I don't interrupt. Then I'll briefly follow up with a question about something that may be keeping undecided voters on the fence about you at this late date. Here you go. Scott Stringer, two minutes. The floor is yours.

Scott Stringer: Well, I don't have to tell anyone listening this morning that the city is confronting a number of challenges. We need a mayor who's ready on day one, to lead the greatest city on earth forward out of its crisis. That means we need a mayor with experience in difficult situations, but also a mayor who has an unwavering commitment to the city as future. What I bring to this race is a record of real experienced, a 30-year record as a proven progressive in the assembly, and borough president, and a city comptroller. I brought that at every city agency, I've overseen the city's budget process, and I've managed a $250 billion pension fund. I have delivered in every office I've had.

I will not be afraid to stand up to powerful interests, we too often get in the way, I'm going to build real low-income housing for the people who need it the most. I'm going to put two teachers in every classroom, K to five because the future post-pandemic is making sure our kids get the resources in every neighborhood that they need. I'm going to fight every single day to make an economy that doesn't just work for the privileged few, but for everybody.

Look, we don't need a mayor with training wheels, and we don't need a mayor who's going to continue the policies of Bill de Blasio, it's time to turn the page. What I offer is a real progressive change. Someone who understands how government works. This pandemic is not over. While some people think we're going to party like it's the 1920s, that may be true for some, but for most people, this pandemic has really hurt families, it's hurt people who are already suffering.

We need a mayor who's going to have a strategic plan to bring our entire city back. I know this is a tough decision. I know there's a lot of discussion about Ranked-choice voting, but I do believe at the end of the day by ranking number one, it does send a signal that we can elect someone who can actually do this job, and that's what I bring to this race and I'm glad to be here to make the case.

Brian Lehrer: I guess if I can take a shot at framing attention that many people may be experiencing if they're undecided about you. Is that on the plus side, they know you're consistent progressive record and your deep experience that prepares you for the job and your commitment. On the downside, maybe they've seen that many younger progressive leaders un-endorsed after the first sexual misconduct charge and then saw the second one reported in the times, and so you stall in the polls after all that and wonder if you can win. Maybe they even think these are really old and really unproven charges, and all those unendorsements were unfair to you, but they're a little stuck. Do what you can to get them unstuck.

Scott Stringer: I think that's a really fair question, and I really appreciate it. Look, I don't expect New Yorkers to act as judge and jury. That's not their responsibility. I do think post-election, I think this will have a further discussion about unsubstantiated charges. I would say to New Yorkers, that you know my record, you know I've been in the trenches. These charges, these inconsistencies of 30 years ago is not who I am. People who know me know that. I do think I will lose votes because of that, but I understand that.

For those who can see their way to justice and fairness, who want a city that can be managed by a progressive, there's no candidate that stands the test of time. Yes, there are other candidates that are progressive, but they don't have experience, and the experience that they have, is de Blasio's experience, and that's not what we need now. I'm just going to run on my record. I've answered all these questions, I get it. I'm proud of the work I've done over 30 years, and I do think I have a chance to win this race and make this city proud again because we're going to manage the city like it's never been managed before, and we're going to do great big things. I appreciate the question.

Brian Lehrer: Comptroller Stringer, thanks so much for coming on with us throughout the campaign and good luck on the closing day.

Scott Stringer: Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: We're doing five-minute elevator pitches from the leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates, all eight have accepted. They're coming on back to back to back to back in our opening segment today. With me now for her elevator pitch, former nonprofit executive, Dianne Morales. Miss Morales, thanks for this time on this hectic last day. Welcome back to WNYC.

Dianne Morales: Good morning, Brian. Thanks so much for having me back.

Brian Lehrer: The format for these is you get two minutes uninterrupted to make a last day elevator pitch. I'll watch the clock and then I'll briefly follow up on one of the tensions that undecided voters may be feeling as I've done with the other candidates, this time pertaining to you. Here we go. Two minutes uninterrupted on this last day. Dianne Morales, the floor is yours.

Dianne Morales: Thank you. I'm not a career politician. When I first launched my campaign, no one expected me to get this far, but I have lived my life, working to defy other's limiting expectations of me, and this race has been no difference. I'm a first-generation Puerto Rican born to a working-class family. I'm also the single mother of two young adults, one of whom struggles with mental health challenges, and the other who was assaulted by the NYPD just last year.

I've lived the inequities in education, the health and mental health systems, and policing. I've also spent my life as the executive of human service organizations, helping working-class families move out of poverty through access to education and career opportunities. I know what the barriers are and I know how to address them. My candidacy is reflective of New Yorkers who are ready to forge a new social contract for this city. We need investments in job creation that provide economic security so that we can build a new economy that makes it possible for New Yorkers to provide for their families, and live in dignity.

We need to establish a new strategy for housing development, that provides housing for all New Yorkers at rates that are truly affordable for everyone. We can provide real mental health interventions and support that creates safety for everyone. We're living in unprecedented times that provide an opportunity for the radical reimagining of what is possible in our city. We can choose to center collective compassion, and humanity over individualism, fear, and scarcity. It's time for us to honor those essential frontline workers who continue to make it possible for the city to operate and for so many to work from home. We do that by implementing policies so that everyone can live in dignity and provide for their families, and we all benefit from that.

Ranked-choice voting gives us the opportunity to vote with our values and our ideals. I'm not promising to get New York City back to normal, I'm promising to help us build a New York City that's never existed. I'm hoping that today's listeners will consider ranking me number one, so we can work towards the creation of a New York City that finally lives up to the rhetoric of being the greatest city in the world.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you for that answer. If I can frame attention that some progressive last-minute undecideds maybe feeling with respect to you, maybe they think you are the candidate who most represents their views on housing as a right, on defund the police, on other things you were just mentioning. They don't know what to make of the fact that one of the centerpieces of your campaign is more equal treatment of Black and brown workers in our economy.

Then your campaign was hit by a strike in charges from campaign employees, that you were being unfair to Black and brown workers. You lost some endorsements over what you call the beautiful mass of that situation. Maybe people think if she can't manage those dynamics without that much strife in her own campaign, why think she'll be great at it for the whole city, and they do have Maya Wiley as another choice who's similar on policy. How would you help people resolve that tension in your favor?

Dianne Morales: The first thing I'd say, I push back a little bit in terms of Maya. I think if people really look deeply and closely at our policy platforms, there's a lot more daylight than is available to the naked eye initially. I would also say that, I love and support my staff, both the ones that continued working through the work stoppage and the ones that went on work stoppage. The challenge is here. We're talking about a really compressed period of time and unfortunately, the staff that wanted to unionize neither were willing to come to the table or were willing to move quickly enough.

As we know, all of this transpired in the last few weeks, and you really can't create a union in that shorter period of time, if you're not willing to move aggressively and quickly. I tried to make that happen several times, and then have to make a decision because I've got thousands of New Yorkers who are supporting my campaign and I needed to move the campaign forward. I was really happy to be able to pay everyone out that was participating in the work stoppage, to pay them out fully through the end of their contract, which is through the end of due tomorrow, but I needed to move forward.

I think that anybody who is an executive, or have executive experience can appreciate the need to make that decision and also the sense of satisfaction of being able to take care of those workers and pay them fully.

Brian Lehrer: Well, Dianne Morales thanks for your accessibility to us and every round we did during this campaign. Win, lose, or draw good luck on the last day, and you get an extra goodbye if I've got my dates right which is to say happy birthday.

Dianne Morales: Aww, thank you so much. Yes, it is my birthday. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. What better way to start the day than to be with you on your show. Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you so much. Brian Lehrer and WNYC. We'll continue with our last day five minute elevator pitches. Maya Wiley, right after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. We are doing five minute elevator pitches from the leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates back to back to back to back to back. With me now for her elevator pitches is Maya Wiley, former general counsel to the mayor of New York City, former head of the civilian complaint review board, and a civil rights attorney. Maya, thank you for coming on each round of our interviews during this campaign.

Maya Wiley: Thanks for having me, Brian. It's always a pleasure.

Brian Lehrer: The format for these is you get two minutes uninterrupted to make a last day elevator pitch. I'll time it, and then I'll briefly follow up with one of the tensions that undecided voters who are still considering you, but not sure, maybe feeling, as I've done with the other candidates. Here we go, two minutes uninterrupted on this last day. Maya Wiley, the floor is yours.

Maya Wiley: Look New Yorkers. You know, we have a miraculous city and it's because of the people who are in it. It is what makes us New York. Here's the thing. If we're going to be a truly great city, it's going to be because it's a great place to raise a family. The honest truth, when we're really looking at not just recovering from COVID, but what was broken even before COVID deepened it and fast tracked it, was it was way too hard and it shouldn't have been. That means making sure that we can afford to live her, and not have to decide whether to buy a meal or pay the rent.

I have a plan that's going to make sure, not just that we're building more affordable housing, which I'm going to do with my new deal, New York plan. Also do it in a way that's creating more good jobs, 100,000 new jobs focused on the communities that also need the most investments to recover. Not just from COVID, but from a lack of investment for such a long time from Southeast Queens, the East New York, to the South Bronx.

Here's the thing, doing that is also about creating more affordable housing, but we're not going to fix what's broken alone just by building, we can't just build our way out of it. Which is why I have a rent subsidy plan that's going to actually subsidize the rent for people. If you're a family of three making $54,000 or less, we will subsidize the rent so that you don't pay more than 30% of your income. We have to recognize that we can solve our heart problems. I know that making sure that crime is taken care of is a big part of job one, and I will keep the city safe. The way I'm going to do it is by growing our public safety.

That means focusing our police department on the job that they sign up to do, keeping illegal guns out of our city and off our streets. We need a balanced approach that only not only holds police accountable, because we can't go backwards to the broken strategies of stop and frisk that was racist and unconstitutional. Have to hold them accountable for discipline, but also ensure that they're focused on the job, but also expand mental health. Our people are traumatized. We can end street homelessness and ensure that our kids have a future because, in a Maya Wiley administration, we are not going to lose a generation to trauma, or to violence, or to a lack of opportunity. This is a city where we can all rise together.

Brian Lehrer: All right. If I can frame what a source of tension might be for some voters undecided about you, but considering you, and it picks up on what you were saying at the end of your answer there. It might be something like they're drawn by your experience running the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and general counsel to the mayor's office, and being a Civil Rights attorney and being serious about curbing police violence and mass incarceration. But when you're asked about what you would do about the spike in shootings in the short run, you seem to fall back on the longer term root causes, answers and approach.

In the recent Mayors poll, you won among voters under 45, but Adams beat you by a lot among Black voters and among all voters over 45. What would you say to undecided voters on the bubble? Maybe a lot of them are older and Marist estimates that voters over 45 make up around two-thirds of the electorate. They're considering you, but you haven't convinced them you've got a serious enough plan to get more guns off the street on day one. Talk to them.

Maya Wiley: This is so important because as a woman, I know what it is like to fear crime and police violence. It's simply a lie that we have to choose between the two, and that interventions that I'm talking about, aren't immediate, they are. Violence interruption is something that every single candidate in this race has lifted up and acknowledged because it's researched and evaluated. It works in preventing the gun from being shot. What violence prevention, violence interrupters are asking for, is not just more resources that will help them right now, day one, stop guns from being fired.

In fact, in Brownsville, proven to have reduced gun violence is telling the police department to step back a bit, let them do their work in ways that are effective but they've been asking for trauma-informed care and counseling. That's not fuzzy, that's social workers. SO much of what we're seeing is mental health, whether it's the rise in hate crimes, which is a crime, and we have to deal with it as one, it's also a lot of mental health issues. When we're addressing those upfront, what we're doing is immediately keeping people safe and preventing the violence before it happens on day one. That's what I will do.

Here's the other thing we have to focus on. There's a lot of fear-mongering in this campaign, and we should be really honest with ourselves about the fact that we're all traumatized and it is a scary time. It is also one where we know what works, and courageous compassion means that we're addressing directly the issues that we need to direct our attention to in smart and informed ways and in ways that pull us together. That's why I'm so saddened that this is a race that is termed, unfortunately, to attack on the Democratic process itself and the candidates choosing how to run together. Let's focus on solutions, not on cynical self interest

Brian Lehrer: Maya Wiley. Thanks so much for your four times on the show during the campaign this year. Good luck in the end game over the next day.

Maya Wiley: Thank you so much, Brian. Thanks for having me.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. We're doing five-minute elevator pitches from the leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates. Back to back to back to back to back. With me now for his elevator pitch is Andrew Yang. Andrew, thanks for coming on with some time during crunch time, welcome back to WNYC.

Andrew Yang: It's great to be here. Thanks for having me, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: What we're doing with all the candidates, is I'll give you the floor for two minutes, uninterrupted. Then after that, I'll briefly follow up. Andrew Yang, if people are on the fence about you. Address whatever you think might be keeping them undecided, or say whatever else you want. Two minutes.

Andrew Yang: Thank you, Brian. Our city is struggling even as it's reopening and summer is here, we're concerned about our safety, homelessness, rising rates of crime. I'm a public school parent who lives here. I'm seeing and experiencing the same things that you are. We have to turn it around. I'm proud to have been endorsed by the police captains union and the firefighters, the New Yorkers who are going to help us get crime under control and grant us all the public safety we expect and deserve. To get there, we're going to need you to come out and provide a vote for real change tomorrow on Tuesday. If you think that politics as usual, and business as usual have been working in New York city, then I might not have your vote.

If you think that we need to turn the page from the special interests who have been running our city into the ground, I believe I am your candidate. I don't owe anyone anything except for the people of New York who have backed me in this campaign. I'm proud to have more individual New York city donors than anyone else in this race. We are going to break the record for individual donors because the people know that we need to change. We need someone to come in fresh and actually get our bureaucracies delivering value for us on public safety, schools, housing, transportation, addressing the mentally ill New Yorkers who need to be in better, more supportive environments.

This is our chance to get control of our government and actually get it working for us the people, and families of New York city.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you for that. Now, if I can frame what the tension might be for some, let's say progressive voters undecided about you. It might be something like they're drawn to your fresh perspective on a number of things, your outsider status like you were just describing, your can-do attitude, that's very associated with you. They thought your universal basic income proposal was radically groundbreaking in the presidential race. Mayor de Blasio just announced something that looked to be inspired by that last week.

In this race you seem to be wooing a more conservative crowd like by accepting the police captains endorsement. Police unions are highly suspect in progressive circles for often denying systemic racism and excusing police brutality. You're answering the debate on Wednesday about the homeless mentally ill people, saying mentally ill people have rights, but who else has rights? We do the people and families of the city as if they're not people and families in the city and calling for a bigger stock of psychiatric beds. Talk to those undecided voters who are trying to sort that all out about what Andrew Yang they'd be getting as mayor.

Andrew Yang: Well, Brian, I'd hate to think that there are multiple versions of me. I'm a family man who just wants to make things work for the people of the city and that includes everyone. If you are mentally ill and struggling, we need to get you the help and support you need so you can be truly healthy. I still have the most ambitious anti-poverty agenda, I believe of any candidate. I want to put a billion dollars of cash relief directly into the hands of people struggling in extreme poverty.

I want to get people connected to our financial systems so that they're not getting gouged by check cashers. I have a very progressive vision, but I also want to solve the real problems that we're facing. I'm not terribly ideological and I think that's one reason why some of these categorizations don't really work so well. If someone brings me a policy, or a suggestion, or an organization that's doing something great and I see it and it's working, then I'll just want to augment that work.

Unfortunately right now our city is struggling with concerns about family safety, even just taking their kids to school. If we don't get that right, we're not going to have the kind of recovery we'd like to see.

Brian Lehrer: What about the Police Captain Union endorsement?

Andrew Yang: The police captains, first they endorsed Bill Thompson in past cycles. This is not the group that I think of officers that endorsed Trump. These are the leaders that we're going to need to work with to get our city heading in a better direction. We've seen what happens when the mayor doesn't have a functional relationship with law enforcement. We're living it right now. That's not what we want moving forward.

They disagree with me on a number of things like the fact that I want a civilian commissioner, I want new cops to live in the city, but they agree with the fact that we need to evolve to a 21st century approach to policing. This is the theme of my campaign Brian is that we're New Yorkers, we're not going to agree on everything, but we need to work together to get our city out of this crisis and that's the kind of mayor I will be.

Brian Lehrer: Andrew Yang, win, lose, or draw, good luck getting through the next day and thank you so much for coming on with us multiple times during this campaign.

Andrew Yang: Of course, Brian. Get out and vote, New York city. Ranked-choice voting is awesome. It feels great in the ballot booth. You feel like you have a lot of power, a lot of say.

Brian Lehrer: That segment with Andrew Yang was recorded on Saturday. We're back live now as we continue with our five minute elevator pitches from all eight leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates back to back to back to back to back to back to back. With me now, former Obama and Bloomberg housing commissioner and housing secretary at the federal level, Shaun Donovan. Secretary Donovan, welcome back to WNYC.

Shaun Donovan: Brian, it's so great to be back on with you. Thanks.

Brian Lehrer: The format is two minutes of the last day, open mic elevator pitch from you. Then I will briefly follow up as I've done with everybody, framing attention that may pertain to undecided voters who were considering you. We begin with to uninterrupted minutes, Shaun Donovan, the floor is yours.

Shaun Donovan: Brian, thanks so much. I want to say that this is the moment to rebuild. It's a hopeful moment with the city reopening and recovering from the health pandemic, but we still face an economic pandemic, and a pandemic of inequality. This moment reminds me of the moment when the skies were clearing after Sandy and the water was receding from the hurricane. This is when the rebuilding has to begin, and we need at this moment leader who has three things. A bold vision for our future. The proven experience to make that vision real in the lives of every New Yorker. A change from the status quo of the last eight years.

I have the boldest ideas to create a safer city that works for everyone. From reducing violent crime and homelessness, to creating 500,000 good jobs, to equity bonds, to make sure we close the racial wealth gap in our city. 15 minute neighborhoods that ensure every New Yorker has within 15 minutes of their front door, everything they need for a life of opportunity. I was trusted by president Obama to lead the recovery from the great recession in hurricane Sandy. I've helped New Yorkers rebuild our lives from crisis again and again.

Others in this race have had a chance to make progress. Working in the last administration as elected officials these last eight years, I would lead New York in a new and better direction. I'm ready to meet this moment and that's why I'm asking for your vote for mayor.

Brian Lehrer: Secretary Donovan, thank you for that. If I can frame as I'd been doing with each candidate what might be a tension for voters who are still considering you for their ballots, but still undecided. Maybe in your case part of it is they like some of your ideas, they think you're creative and committed to good things and smart, but you haven't caught on enough to be in the top tier in any of the polls, so why vote for you. What would you say to voters who might be on the fence for that reason, and just considering picking among those who they think are more likely to win?

Shaun Donovan: Brian look, first of all the only poll that matters is the vote tomorrow and everybody should get out and vote. I would also say one of the great things about Ranked-choice voting is you get five choices. You should make sure that you're voting for the person that you think has the vision, the experience, and we'll take our city in another direction. Look, if you think we've been headed in the right direction the last eight years, then you should probably choose somebody else.

If you believe that we need a different direction, but the vision and the experience together, you don't have to choose between those. We can get change and experience together. I'm all over the city in all five boroughs, and I'm hearing a lot of enthusiasm and support, and I want to make sure every New Yorker has their voice heard tomorrow. Go out and vote your conscience, vote who you believe can bring change, experience and vision at this moment.

Brian Lehrer: Well, secretary Donovan, thanks for coming on in each of our four rounds of mayoral candidate appearances this year, best of luck getting through the last day.

Shaun Donovan: Thanks so much, Brian. I really appreciate it.

Brian Lehrer: It's our five minute elevator pitches from all eight leading Democratic mayoral primary candidates back to back to back to back to back to back, for this day before primary day. With me now, former Citigroup, executive Ray McGuire. Mr. McGuire, thanks for giving us five minutes on the schedule crunch day of the end game. Welcome back to WNYC.

Ray McGuire: How are you, Brian? Thank you for having me back.

Brian Lehrer: The way these are working. If you haven't heard the earlier ones, is I'll give you the floor for two minutes uninterrupted. I won't jump in and then afterwards I'll briefly follow up with some tension that may be in people's minds, who are still considering you, but not sure. Address whatever you think might be keeping them undecided or say whatever else you want in the next two minutes.

Ray McGuire: Thank you. You know, Brian, this election is probably the most consequential in more than four decades, and we only have one shot at getting it right. The city is on the edge. Now, is the time for change. Growing up, I was lucky that my mother, and my grandparents, and two teachers challenged me to get a good education, which is what I brought to New York City. I don't want any child or family in New York to just get lucky. I was raised in the Church, and my word's, "to be known by your deeds not by your words," and so I've been a private-public servant in New York City for more than 40 years.

Now we're at a crossroads, we've been brought to our knees by the global pandemic. It exposed the injustices that have plagued New Yorkers; especially, Black, and brown, and low-income communities for far too long. This is our one opportunity to build back for the future for all New Yorkers. Our next Mayor needs to be somebody who understands how to balance a multi-billion dollar budget. A person who's got the management skills to bring the city together inclusively and equitably, who can make our streets safe, and get the economy going, get our kids educated, and care for our elders.

In my industry, as a Black man working hard to succeed in a White-male dominated sector like finance, I had to work twice as hard to be considered half as good, even at the top. I've been able to be as successful as anybody ever in that position, by delivering results. My career is based on the principle of accountability, and that's what I'll bring to New Yorkers as the Mayor. I'm not interested in symbolic change. In me, New Yorkers will have a leader who has no concessions to any special interests. I don't owe any political favors. New Yorkers will get a mayor in whom they can trust and believe, who's going to partner with them, who will focus on New Yorkers, our children, and our elders.

John D. Rockefeller once said, "I believe that character, not wealth or power, or position is of supreme worth." In my time campaigning, I've learned there are a lot of political tricks and gimmicks. Integrity of other candidates has been called into question. New Yorkers deserve a mayor whom they can trust, a mayor whose interests are solely what's in the best interest of our children, our safety, and our quality of life. New York has always been a city filled with bold action, today, I'm asking New Yorkers to vote boldly against political norm, and vote for me.

New Yorkers should vote for the change that they want. I know what it's like to struggle, but I also know what it's like given the opportunity to succeed. I continue to share my plans, and encourage New Yorkers to vote for me and hope I have earned the vote and I'm honored to be your Mayor.

Brian: Thank you very much for that. With each candidate, I have been framing what might be a tension keeping some people undecided about each of you until this last minute. In your case, maybe people like your management experience, they like your outsider status, they've heard you for the first time in this campaign, and they like your heart. They see you endorsed by Spike Lee, Diddy, Jay-Z, and think, "Something good must be going on there," but you haven't caught on in the pre-election polls like some people thought you might. So people might be asking themselves, "Maybe, I should just choose among the apparent front-runners from my top rankings, so I make a difference. Oh, and by the way, maybe I don't know about this Citigroup thing." What would you say to that kind of undecided voter?

Ray McGuire: I will say to that undecided voter, that I understand what it's like to struggle, but I also understand the importance of opportunity. What I'm hearing from New Yorkers every single day is that they want somebody who understands that struggle, who has climbed the ladder, who's broken down barriers, and somebody who doesn't represent the status quo. Because the status quo, for the most underserved inner city, has not worked, it's gotten much worse.

If New Yorkers want to have, what I call, the greatest most-inclusive economic comeback, where all New Yorkers are included. New Yorkers are saying, "Ray, you're the person in whom we have confidence and in whom we trust. We want you, we need you. You're not like the rest. You don't owe any political favors." I'm not in any political gimmickry, I don't owe anybody any political favors. The only people to whom I owe anything is God Almighty, my dear family, including my 95-year-old mother and family, and to all New Yorkers. I'm in this solely for New Yorkers.

When I'm out in the boroughs, I'm talking to the train people on the train station and subways, in nature homes. By the way, the head of the Tenant Association, NYCHA, has endorsed me. Mother Gwen Carr has. endorsed me. Mother Vivian Bell has endorsed me, those people on the ground have endorsed me. They recognize I reflect and have a track record for doing the things I say I'm going to do. I got receipts, I've done. I am actually a doer, not a talker, and New Yorkers are looking for somebody who's a doer, and not a talker. I got track record of acting executing on behalf of all New Yorkers.

Brian: Well, thanks very much, Mr. McGuire, for that, and for coming on in each of our four rounds of candidate interviews this year. However it turns out, good luck getting through this final day of campaigning.

Ray McGuire: Thank you very much, and I appreciate and respect all that you have done and are doing, Brian. You are one of the great leaders in the world, and you do this with balance, and purpose, and fairness, and equity. I have so much admiration and respect for you, so thank you.

Brian: You are way too kind, but thank you, thank you, very, very much. Listeners, there you have it. Our elevator pitch round with the eight leading contenders. All eight said, "Yes," for the Democratic Mayoral nomination. Now, we'll open up the phones for a little while for the very voters we've been talking about. Anyone who made up your mind in the last week, let's say, or is still undecided, even now, before you go out on Primary Day tomorrow, 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280, or you can tweet @BrianLehrer.

If you decided in the last week, who did you decide to rank first and second on your ballot, and what kept you undecided for so long? 646-425-7280, or if you're one of those undecided voters, who's actually been listening this whole hour, and trying to use these elevator pitches on the day before Primary Day to help you get over the hump. For one or the other, or the other, or the other, how did they sound to you? React to anything you just heard from the eight candidates so far on the show. 646-435-7280.

I'm also curious if the campaign news of the last week has influenced you at all? There's always this last-minute drama in close campaigns, at the end. Where it starts to get very negative frankly, and this one attacks that one, and that one says, "That was such a low blow, negative attack, how can anyone vote for someone who would say such a thing?" Then they say such a thing person acts all offended that someone would twist their words to mischaracterize them like that, and around and around they go.

How did any of the campaign news of the last week affect your vote. Maybe the Yang and Garcia co-campaigning and Adam's reaction to that or whatever else. 646-435-7280. 646-435-7280. Late deciders, we'll take your calls right after this.

[00:47:24] [END OF AUDIO]

 

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