Sacramento mayoral candidates meet in first heated debate 2 months until Election Day
SACRAMENTO — Tahoe Elementary Gym set the stage for the very first Sacramento mayoral debate between Democrats Dr. Flo Cofer and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty.
The Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association hosted the debate and allowed the public to submit questions ahead of time about topics that were most important to them.
Undecided voter Kathleen Brooks wanted to hear how both candidates would address the homeless crisis.
"I am learning but still wanting to hear from both sides of the issue," Brooks said.
The two Democrats are both trying to differentiate from the other with McCarty saying he is leaning onto his decade of experience in politics including a former as a city councilmember and serving in the California State Assembly representing the sixth district.
"I think experience, people want someone who knows what they are doing," McCarty said.
Dr. Cofer is a relative political newcomer, with this the first elected office she's ever run for. Her background includes policy advisor, epidemiologist and activist. She secured the most votes in the primary election with 28% to McCarty's 22%.
"I am visionary with executive leadership experience and I think that really distinguished me during the primary, and I think this distinguishes me from my opponent now," Cofer said.
Things got heated during an exchange that allowed both candidates to question each other during Thursday's debate. Cofer accused McCarty of not accurately portraying her policy stance on how to address the homeless crisis.
"There are some things that you have said that have really misrepresented me as a person," Flo said. "That I'm radical and I want to put homeless in parks where they are shooting up drugs. It's so disappointing."
McCarty answered during 30 seconds of rebuttal by saying he was just repeating what she had said in prior newspaper interviews and events.
"I haven't, Dr. Flo, said anything you haven't said in a forum or a newspaper," Mccarty said.
Another Sacramento Mayoral Forum is September 12, hosted by CBS13's Julie Watts and organized by the APAPA, NAACP Sacramento, and the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce.