It's the Brian Laris show on WNYC.

Good morning, everyone.

We begin today with an announcement.

We can now announce that the New York City Campaign Finance Board has selected

WNYC, along with New York One and the news organization, the city, to host debates in this

New York City election year. That will include me as a questioner and several journalists from

the city, as well as my first guest today, Errol Lewis, political anchor on

Spectrum News, New York One. Some of you also know Errol as a New York magazine columnist and host of the

podcast, you decide. Errol, it's always great to have you on the show. Welcome back to WNYC.

Always great to be with you, Brian. Let's tell the listeners about these debates and how this works.

Most candidates for mayor and the other citywide offices, controller and public advocate,

are required to participate in debate sponsored by the campaign finance board.

Maybe you could explain to the audience why that is.

What are the rules about that?

Sure. Over the years,

we've had a campaign finance system that has expanded the match. And basically what happens is you give the candidates a lot of incentives to get small donations from people in their district,

or in this case, in New York City.

And in exchange, you get an eight to one match.

You get a lot of public money.

But one condition that is attached to that money is that you participate in the official debates that are sanctioned by the campaign finance board.

In this case, there will be two for the candidates who qualify and are

participating in taking this public money in the primary for citywide, well, for mayor. And there'll

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