Malliotakis Chat On Reddit Shows Hurricanes, City Spending Among Top Issues
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Republican mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis took questions on the discussion website Reddit.com Thursday to win over voters in her race against Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"I am running to become Mayor of New York City to stop Bill de Blasio from his continued practice of protecting criminals at the expense of the New York City taxpayer," she wrote in her introduction. "High taxes and runaway spending without results, traffic and transit nightmares and a growing homeless crisis is the tale of our current administration."
Questions posted to Malliotakis in her Reddit AMA included topics such as protecting the city from future hurricane damage, city spending, MTA infrastructure and her stance on marriage equity.
"After Hurricane Sandy we saw how potentially vulnerable the East Coast is to the devastation which is currently being felt by the many victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma," posted one user. "Will you buck your party's platform of EPA regulation rollbacks when it comes to climate change?"
Citing Sandy damage to her 60th State District district, the assemblywoman posted a link to her online platform countering de Blasio's "Build It Back" plans. When challenged about her party's position on climate change policies, Malliotakis replied, "I am my own person with my own views, as I am sure you are. :)"
One user pointed to a poll showing de Blasio holding a 47 point lead, according to a report in the New York Daily News.
"Our poll which questioned likely voters shows a much closer race," she replied. "We are within 16 points."
A Reddit AMA -- short for "Ask Me Anything" -- allows site users to post questions, often anonymously, for site guests to answer in real time. Questions and replies can then be voted up or down by the sites' users.
Overall Malliotakis posted 13 replies, most linking back to position statements on her campaign website.
Malliotakis and de Blasio will face off Nov. 1 in a debate moderated by CBS2, the week before the mayoral election on Nov. 7.
